Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been vocal about stopping illegal immigration at the border.
Not all migrants apprehended at and in between ports of entry are entering illegally. Many migrants are seeking asylum.
Asylum is legal in the U.S., but rapid expulsion due to a controversial pandemic response at the border is denying individuals from even obtaining a credible fear interview. 91,839 migrants (out of more than 164,000 encountered in October) were rapidly expelled under the public health order Title 42.
A Democratic member of the U.S. House has introduced a piece of legislation that takes a step toward improving, modernizing, and humanizing the asylum process.
El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar introduced House Resolution 5618, the Reimagining Asylum Processing Act.
“When someone who is seeking asylum arrives at our port of entry, they're rejected,” said Escobar. “They're told that they cannot seek asylum at our ports.”
Escobar knows it’s difficult for lawmakers to agree on immigration reform.
“My bill on its own is not going to address everything that needs to be addressed,” she said. “It's one component of what has to be a multifaceted plan. That's why addressing root causes and working with hemispheric leaders needs to be central to everything that we do.”
Read the text of the bill:
Reimagining Asylum by Texas Public Radio on Scribd
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