June 11, 2018

Castro Statement on Sessions’ Stricter Asylum Requirements

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, made the following statement on Attorney General Sessions’ announcement that the Trump Administration will stop granting asylum to victims of gang violence and domestic abuse:

“Under U.S. law, asylum is intended for those who can establish a credible fear of persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership of a particular social group. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the United States will stop granting asylum claims to victims of gang violence and domestic abuse. This decision, based upon a case Sessions himself overturned regarding a Salvadoran woman who was granted asylum because she was abused by her husband, is a continuation of this Administration’s immigration ‘zero-tolerance’ immigration policy that seeks to deter asylum seekers from our country leading our nation down a dark path.

“From separating immigrant children from their families, terminating Temporary Protected Status for places like Honduras and El Salvador, and ending the automatic release of pregnant women from detention, such policies are contrary to what our founding fathers originally envisioned. The scarier day for America is when no one wants to come to our country. I fear that with these repeated policy shifts, the Administration is moving us closer to that reality.

“As we approach the sixth anniversary of the Deferred Action Children Arrivals Program (DACA), we must continue urging members on both sides of aisle to sign the discharge petition and urge Speaker Ryan to bring immigration legislation to the House floor. We must capitalize on bipartisanship and frustration amongst Democrats and Republicans alike so we can provide Dreamers clarity for their futures in America.”

# # #