The Department of Homeland Security’s recently proposed massive changes to asylum policy violate decades of asylum policy norms, international asylum law set forth by the UN, and our moral responsibility to protect people fleeing for their safety. 

The proposal restricts protection for those fleeing torture and sets unrealistic standards for those arriving at the US-Mexico border. It overrides current US and international law by eliminating protection for people fleeing domestic and gang-related violence. It permits judges to deny valid claims before the asylum seekers even get to appear in court. 

This policy proposal flies in the face of our long history of providing refuge for those seeking safety, as well as the UN’s international asylum laws. 

My family has lived in three different countries in Latin America, and seen firsthand the terror faced by many innocent citizens. Those who make the enormous effort to appeal for asylum are not doing so capriciously, but out of genuine fear for their lives and the lives of those they love. They are people of conviction, who not only need our help, but will also enrich our country with their desire to build a better society. 

I urge you to revise the policy proposal to include protections for those fleeing from domestic and gang-related violence, and to provide due process and access to legal counsel for all those seeking asylum.

Regards, Elisabeth C.