During a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) blasted a sweeping immigration policy bill that was under consideration after introduction by House Republicans and, if ever implemented, would drastically reduce opportunities for asylum with new rules for multiple stages of the process. Included would evidently even be an allowance for the rejection of asylum cases on an essentially arbitrary basis, should it be determined such was necessary for so-called operational control.
Discussing the legacy of the United States serving as a refuge and starting point for those fleeing terrible conditions and seeking a new start, Schiff asked: “Why would we forsake it now and turn away those lawfully seeking asylum in America? For the economy? No. Immigrants add immeasurably to our economic output… For our security? No. Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born here, and asylum-seekers are coming here in search of security, not to threaten it… For what would we depart from the values of our nation?.. Fear? Would we really do all this because we are afraid of those seeking asylum?.. If the [GOP] majority was sincere and interested in solving this [fentanyl] problem, they would work with us, instead of taking up a bill which — if it can even muster the support of their own party to pass the House — will surely go no farther than that.”
Other new rules for the asylum process contained in the bill would restrict individuals seeking asylum from arriving at border locations between points of entry and would even impose a fee. It would also scale back opportunities for certain groups of people to live and work in the United States while their cases move forward, concurrently expanding provisions for the detention of migrating families. A fee for asylum cases of what is here $50 per adult — something it seems might be designed for purely punitive means — was also sought by the Trump administration, although those policy attempts faltered in court. The new legislation, of course, mirrors longstanding deception and antagonism from Republicans around the border, whether they’re falsely characterizing the migration seen there as a security threat or calling the border itself “open,” which it definitely isn’t in any real-world sense!
