WASHINGTON, DC (June 4, 2024) – Today the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order that would shut down the U.S.-Mexico border based on the number of people seeking entry. The American Friends Service Committee – a Quaker organization that works with migrants at the border and around the world – spoke out against the decision.
“Closing the border to people seeking safety is immoral, counterproductive, and a violation of international law,” said Amy Gottlieb, U.S. Migration Director for AFSC. “What we need is to create a fair and welcoming immigration system that processes immigration claims quickly, connects people to supportive services, and provides avenues for residency and citizenship. Instead, President Biden is doubling down on Trump’s cruel and ineffective efforts to punish migrants for failures of U.S. policy.”
Staff from AFSC’s U.S.-Mexico border program, along with partners and volunteers, have been at the border nearly every day for the past eight months, providing humanitarian aid to people that U.S. Border Patrol is holding between border walls in “open-air detention sites.” Children, families, and individuals are not allowed to leave and don’t have adequate access to water, food, sanitation, medical care or protection from the elements.
“Who does it protect to terrorize families? Who does it serve to close the door on families seeking safety and a better life?” said Adriana Jasso, Coordinator of AFSC’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program. “Our border communities don’t want more walls and border closures. We want policies that give everyone an opportunity to thrive, no matter where they were born.”
AFSC will be mobilizing supporters to contact the Biden administration and Congress to demand the Executive Order be rescinded and just and welcoming policies be implemented in its place. To learn more about AFSC’s work on these issues, visit: https://afsc.org/topics/migrant-justice
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.