WASHINGTON – FWD.us Vice President for Immigration Policy and Campaigns Andrea Flores released the following statement in reaction to reports that Democratic policymakers are considering policy reforms that could erode our nation’s asylum system:

“Our nation is at its best when we provide refuge and hope for those in need of protection. There are several pragmatic and positive steps the Biden administration can take right now to relieve pressure at the border that don’t require legislating away our nation’s promised commitment to asylum.

“The Administration should be expanding access to legal pathways to reduce the number of people attempting unauthorized crossings, fully implementing the asylum officer rule to give people expedited decisions on their claims while protecting access to legal counsel, and continuing to invest in regional processing options that prevent desperate families from relying on human smuggling networks to reach the U.S.

“Yesterday, Administration officials also heard directly from mayors from across the country about the need for the federal government to take an active role in coordinating the arrival of asylum seekers, specifically those without family or financial sponsors. Border communities and receiving cities are long past due for improved federal coordination that aligns with the Administration’s commitment to create a humane and orderly process for new migrants, as was done for new arrivals from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

“Restricting asylum is wrong, contradicts our values, and has been proven to worsen the operational challenges at the border and in our cities. Policymakers need to use this moment to reject attacks on our asylum system and embrace evidence-based policies that direct migration toward safe and orderly channels.”

See below for more information from FWD.us’s research and policy briefs that show how to build legal pathways that reduce pressure at the border and create a more secure and orderly process:

Addressing the Challenges of Forced Migration at the Border and in our Communities
A New Pathway Forward for the United States: Why Building Working Legal Pathways Is the Best Policy and Politics Approach to Forced Migration – And Upholds The Best of America’s Promise