The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed concern about the impact of President Biden’s executive order temporarily suspending the processing of most asylum claims at the southern U.S. border.
The order, which activates when the seven-day average of unauthorized crossings exceeds 2,500, sets an arbitrary threshold and is built off of the same legal framework that the Trump Administration used in 2017 to justify its discriminatory and unconstitutional ban on Muslim and African immigrants, students, and travelers.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“We are deeply concerned that President Biden’s executive order on immigration will result in many endangered migrants with legitimate asylum claims being turned away at the border based on an arbitrary threshold. By setting an arbitrary threshold of 2,500 crossings, the administration is using the same restrictive precedents that have historically targeted immigrants arriving at our southern border. This decision could not only endanger future asylum applicants but undermine the ability of the United States to give full consideration to the claims of undocumented persons who have already crossed into the United States.
“While we agree with the White House that comprehensive immigration reform is desperately needed, this executive order is not the solution. We continue to call on Congress to act swiftly to pass meaningful legislation that addresses the complexities of our immigration system and upholds the values of compassion and justice.
“CAIR urges the Biden administration to reconsider the impact of this executive order and work towards a more humane and just immigration policy that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals seeking asylum in the United States, whether they are arriving at the border or already here.”
The executive order mandates that asylum restrictions remain in place until the seven-day average of unauthorized crossings drops below 1,500 for 14 consecutive days, with the measures reactivating if the number reaches 2,500 again. Such a policy fails to address the root causes of migration and instead punishes vulnerable individuals seeking safety and a better life.
CAIR acknowledges that the current influx of undocumented immigrants seeking asylum and entry into the United States is, in part, a direct result of Congress’s failure to adopt comprehensive immigration reform. Legislative measures like the American Dream and Promise Act and the U.S. Citizenship Act, which would have created a permanent pathway for our nation’s undocumented persons, remain stalled in Congress.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com