CGRS Condemns President Trump’s Speech Against Asylum Seeker Families

CGRS Condemns President Trump’s Speech Against Asylum Seeker Families

San Francisco, CA (November 1, 2018) – The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) condemns President Trump’s shameful fearmongering against asylum seekers. In a plan announced today, Trump proposes shutting down asylum to individuals who arrive between ports of entry and massively increasing detention of asylum seekers in tent cities—even for children.

“President Trump’s vilification of asylum seekers is disgraceful. Mothers, fathers, and children peacefully seeking safe haven from the humanitarian crisis in Central America have a right to access our asylum system,” said CGRS Director Karen Musalo. “They deserve to have these rights upheld. And Americans deserve real solutions that address the root causes of refugee flight by countering violence and instability—not racist political stunts.”

“President Trump’s plan is unconscionable, unlawful, and cruel. Our asylum laws clearly offer protection to those who come here between ports of entry,” said CGRS Co-Legal Director Eunice Lee. “Trump cannot unilaterally shut down asylum in violation of our moral and legal obligations to refugees. Nor can he lawfully detain asylum seeking families in ‘massive tent cities’ in order to punish them.”

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CGRS works to defend the fundamental human rights of refugee women, children, LGBT individuals, and others who flee persecution in their home countries. We combine legal strategies with policy advocacy and human rights interventions to secure greater protections for refugees and asylum seekers.