SPLC Action Fund Urges Congress to Reject Border Deal That Undermines Asylum Process 

WASHINGTON — Today, the SPLC Action Fund issued a statement in response to the U.S. Senate’s proposed Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, which, as part of supplementary budget negotiations, would restrict access to the asylum process and expand the detention of asylum seekers. 

“Offering refuge to people fleeing persecution is a fundamental American value,” said Efrén C. Olivares, deputy legal director for immigrant justice and interim director of strategic litigation for SPLC and SPLC Action Fund. “We built our asylum system in the aftermath of World War II to ensure that we would never again reject immigrants seeking refuge in their time of need. While we can all agree that our immigration system needs reform, this bill undermines our values and our democracy. 

“The SPLC has been representing noncitizens in detention across the South and litigating on behalf of asylum seekers for years, and the evidence is clear – when the government sends asylum seekers back to Mexico, they face extortion and violence. This bill would only ensure that we send individuals and families back to danger. Our country should not use people seeking asylum as pawns in political negotiations spurred by the interests of extremists. We condemn this bill and urge Congress to reject this deal,” concluded Olivares.