CEDA Condemns President Biden’s Proclamation to Restrict Asylum at Southern Border

June 4, 2024

Washington, D.C. - CEDA condemns the Biden-Harris administration’s moves to greatly restrict access to asylum at the U.S. Southwest and southern coastal borders and expedite removals once a certain threshold of arrivals is met. These actions risk violating the principle of non-refoulement and directly contradict the commitments made by the administration alongside 21 other signatory countries of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which involved a commitment to“create the conditions for safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration and to strengthen frameworks for international protection and cooperation.” The administration's move is especially troubling on the heels of the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Los Angeles Declaration, which was held just last month in Guatemala City.

President Biden must avoid placing more lives at risk and further worsening a humanitarian crisis at Mexico’s northern border. The scale and complexity of migration in the Americas today demands urgent and comprehensive actions that prioritize the protection of and support to migrants and refugees, while maximizing the benefits of migration for all involved. CEDA urges Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to work together to implement much-needed reforms to the U.S. asylum system, ensuring compliance with both U.S. and international refugee law.

For comment, please contact CEDA's External Affairs Manager, Isabel Albee at isabel@weareceda.org.