Posted on Mar 12, 2022
Pressure to end pandemic restrictions mounts as Ukrainians reach the U.S. border
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https://www.npr.org/2022/03/11/ [login to see] /ukrainians-refugees-border-mexico-us-title-42-trump-biden
A woman who fled Ukraine with her three young children tried to cross the border between Tijuana and San Diego earlier this week — only to be turned away under sweeping pandemic border restrictions.
Thursday, U.S. immigration authorities relented, allowing the family to enter the country and seek asylum.
But immigrant advocates say their story underscores the cruelty of restrictions put in place at the beginning of the pandemic by the Trump administration.
"The fact that we're using COVID as an excuse to keep out asylum seekers at this moment in time, it's just becoming more and more absurd and untenable for the administration," said Blaine Bookey, an attorney at the Center for Gender & Refugees Studies, who is representing the Ukrainian family.
For more than a year, the Biden administration has quickly expelled migrants at the southern border under the controversial public health order known as Title 42 — despite repeated calls from Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to end the Trump-era policy.
A woman who fled Ukraine with her three young children tried to cross the border between Tijuana and San Diego earlier this week — only to be turned away under sweeping pandemic border restrictions.
Thursday, U.S. immigration authorities relented, allowing the family to enter the country and seek asylum.
But immigrant advocates say their story underscores the cruelty of restrictions put in place at the beginning of the pandemic by the Trump administration.
"The fact that we're using COVID as an excuse to keep out asylum seekers at this moment in time, it's just becoming more and more absurd and untenable for the administration," said Blaine Bookey, an attorney at the Center for Gender & Refugees Studies, who is representing the Ukrainian family.
For more than a year, the Biden administration has quickly expelled migrants at the southern border under the controversial public health order known as Title 42 — despite repeated calls from Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to end the Trump-era policy.
Pressure to end pandemic restrictions mounts as Ukrainians reach the U.S. border
Posted from npr.org
Ukraine
Immigration
Refugees
Joe Biden
Donald Trump
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
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There is clear evidence that this Family is within their right to seek asylum. That is not to say that we need to change laws allowing everyone who feels like it to get a free pass. I fear that our country is systematically breaking down. We are becoming a country without laws. We control those applying for work visa and the like, but we allow almost anyone to cross our very porous border.
We should follow the laws on the books whether they be related to the border and immigration, or paying a price for crimes committed against society. We have youth that now believe they can do almost anything and there are no consequences. We also have people from foreign lands come across our border worry free knowing they will not be sought should they not make there court date, so why bother.
We have laws for a reason, we are a nation of immigrants, who did it right. My Family are 1st generation immigrants, my wife is an immigrant.
We have been successful as a Nation because we have laws and we are a compassionate country who has waivers and laws that support immigrants with special circumstance. We are a nation of laws.
We should follow the laws on the books whether they be related to the border and immigration, or paying a price for crimes committed against society. We have youth that now believe they can do almost anything and there are no consequences. We also have people from foreign lands come across our border worry free knowing they will not be sought should they not make there court date, so why bother.
We have laws for a reason, we are a nation of immigrants, who did it right. My Family are 1st generation immigrants, my wife is an immigrant.
We have been successful as a Nation because we have laws and we are a compassionate country who has waivers and laws that support immigrants with special circumstance. We are a nation of laws.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."But immigrant advocates say their story underscores the cruelty of restrictions put in place at the beginning of the pandemic by the Trump administration.
"The fact that we're using COVID as an excuse to keep out asylum seekers at this moment in time, it's just becoming more and more absurd and untenable for the administration," said Blaine Bookey, an attorney at the Center for Gender & Refugees Studies, who is representing the Ukrainian family.
For more than a year, the Biden administration has quickly expelled migrants at the southern border under the controversial public health order known as Title 42 — despite repeated calls from Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to end the Trump-era policy.
Those calls have grown louder this week as Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country began to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and a pair of court rulings on Title 42 put additional pressure on the Biden administration to make a decision about its future.
"This is not who we are as a country," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said during a call with reporters on Thursday. "Continuing this Trump era policy has defied common sense and common decency. Now's the time to stop the madness."
The Biden administration announced late Friday that it would officially end Title 42 for children crossing the border without their parents or legal guardian, but left the policy in place for other migrants."...
..."But immigrant advocates say their story underscores the cruelty of restrictions put in place at the beginning of the pandemic by the Trump administration.
"The fact that we're using COVID as an excuse to keep out asylum seekers at this moment in time, it's just becoming more and more absurd and untenable for the administration," said Blaine Bookey, an attorney at the Center for Gender & Refugees Studies, who is representing the Ukrainian family.
For more than a year, the Biden administration has quickly expelled migrants at the southern border under the controversial public health order known as Title 42 — despite repeated calls from Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to end the Trump-era policy.
Those calls have grown louder this week as Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country began to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and a pair of court rulings on Title 42 put additional pressure on the Biden administration to make a decision about its future.
"This is not who we are as a country," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said during a call with reporters on Thursday. "Continuing this Trump era policy has defied common sense and common decency. Now's the time to stop the madness."
The Biden administration announced late Friday that it would officially end Title 42 for children crossing the border without their parents or legal guardian, but left the policy in place for other migrants."...
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