Coalition Calls on Biden Administration to Rescind Rule that Would Bar Asylum Seekers Under the Pretenses of Public Health

The American Immigration Council joined 134 other organizations in a letter calling on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to rescind the “Security Bars and Processing” rule issued by the Trump administration in December 2020. The rule, whose implementation has been repeatedly delayed, would bar from protection asylum seekers who have transited through or come from a country with a communicable disease or who exhibit symptoms of such a disease. The letter highlights expert objections to the rule due to its xenophobia, lack of medical foundation, and violation of U.S. law and treaty obligations.