Attorney General Bonta, Multistate Coalition Urge Federal Government to Ensure Robust Access to Asylum

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in a comment letter urging the federal government, as part of its current rulemaking process, to ensure robust access to asylum. While the coalition supports the federal government’s efforts to better ensure lawful, safe, and orderly mechanisms for migrants to seek safety in the United States, the current proposed rule is inconsistent with key aspects of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and could potentially harm already vulnerable asylum seekers and the states that welcome them. In the comment letter, the coalition urges the federal government to continue to explore commonsense solutions to both protect access to asylum and ensure a more efficient and orderly process.
 
“Offering protection to the vulnerable and those in need is a core American value and tradition,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I welcome the federal government’s efforts to ensure the asylum process is safe and orderly. However, we must also remain committed to ensuring that migrants have a meaningful opportunity to apply for asylum. Our nation has long been a beacon of hope to immigrants from around the world seeking safety and a better life. I urge the federal government to carefully consider the potential impacts of this proposal on the fundamental right to seek asylum in the United States.”
 
Under the current proposed rule, the federal government, in light of an anticipated increase in asylum claims at the border when Title 42 is set to be lifted on May 11, 2023, would largely require migrants to follow the rule’s specified pathways in order to secure protection in the United States. As part of the proposal, the federal government is currently set to put more restrictive standards in place for those seeking asylum. For instance, individuals entering the United States at the southern border, except in limited circumstances, would be presumptively ineligible for asylum unless they applied for and were denied protection in at least one country that they transited through prior to their arrival, or used the CBP One online application to make an appointment to present themselves to immigration officials. In the comment letter, the coalition urges the federal government to reconsider aspects of the proposed presumption of ineligibility in order to avoid, or at least mitigate, any potential harms to asylum seekers and the states that welcome them.
 
In the comment letter, the coalition notes:

• Provisions of the current proposal conflict with the more expansive protections guaranteed under the Immigration and Nationality Act;
• If asylum is improperly restricted, it will limit the ability of asylum seekers to integrate into state workforces and potentially strain state-funded services; and
• The proposed rule would unfairly harm many asylum seekers, particularly those with fewer resources.

In filing the comment letter, Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
 
A copy of the comment letter is available here.