SACRAMENTO —Today, Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, issued a statement on behalf of the Caucus regarding President Joe Biden's executive order barring migrants from receiving asylum:
“As the Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, I urge President Joe Biden to remember the promises he made and reconsider implementing an asylum ban. This ban could significantly restrict access to asylum—an essential human right that has been enshrined in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—which the United States has made available to people fleeing their home countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution for decades.
“The Latino Caucus is steadfast in our commitment to vehemently oppose anti-immigrant or fear-mongering rhetoric that dehumanizes individuals who are risking their lives. As a nation, we cannot afford to return to Trump-era immigration policies that threaten the lives of refugees or delegitimize migrants for the sake of political expediency. These policies would only criminalize the fundamentally human act of fleeing from violence, torture, or oppression.
“I urge President Biden to reverse his executive order and listen to the hundreds of immigration advocates and California’s own United States Senator, Alex Padilla, who have led on immigration reform and rethinking our broken immigration system, which has not been updated in nearly 40 years. Both California and our country deserve a functioning immigration system that is humane, efficient, and secure. The Biden Administration should create legal pathways for those coming here to work or join family and legalize the 11 million undocumented people with deep family and economic roots in the United States.”
###
