On Monday, June 15, the Trump administration posted a proposal to the Federal Register that would drastically restrict the ability of people seeking asylum to apply and qualify for asylum in the U.S. The proposal’s biggest changes include removing the ability to claim asylum due to a credible fear of domestic or gang violence in the country of origin and increased restrictions to legal representation. Previous policy interpreted asylum law to include such threats. Under President Trump, policy has increasingly excluded this type of violence. The new proposal would make that policy official, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced people vulnerable.
To Do:
Please use our Call to Action tool to leave a comment for the proposed changes to asylum procedure expressing your fervent disagreement with the proposal. Let the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security know that you stand with people seeking safety in our country, then ask your friends to do the same.
Background:
Gang violence in Central America has displaced over half a million people. Local authorities are either unable or unwilling to protect their citizens. We have a duty to welcome and protect those fleeing violence (PEG 3d). Why should the source of that violence matter? These changes are a blatant disregard for human suffering and will drastically decrease the number of refugees able to find the safety of asylum in the U.S. The Department of Justice claims this will expedite the process of seeking asylum. Is speed of processing more important than protecting human life? Denying refuge to the majority of people needing it will inevitably make the process faster for the few remaining, but it robs the process of justice and compassion. A faster process for few is not worth sacrificing the security and well-being of thousands more.
Please use our Call to Action tool to leave a comment for the proposed changes to asylum procedure expressing your fervent disagreement with the proposal. Let the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security know you stand with people seeking safety in our country, then ask your friends to do the same.
This proposal violates multiple MWEG Principles of Ethical Government including:
(2) Every human being is endowed with rights that governments are obligated to protect and not violate. These include both universal human rights such as the rights to life and liberty, as well as civil rights such as the rights to equitable political representation and equal protection under the law (see D&C 134:1-2).
(c) All people are entitled to equal protection and due process under the law and to be free from arbitrary deprivation of their life, liberty, property, and privacy. Criminal justice and national security institutions must be designed in ways that preserve and uphold those rights for all people equally (see D&C 101:77).
(3) All human beings are mutually accountable to their fellow human beings in their local communities, their countries, and the world (see Matthew 22:37-40).
(d) People have moral responsibilities to provide succor and relief to their fellow human beings fleeing war, violence, persecution, and natural disasters, regardless of their race, nationality, or religion (see Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:31-40, and Alma 27:21-24).
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