Dems demand Sessions restore asylum for victims of violence
More than 100 House Democrats signed a letter this week urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his decision to stop granting asylum to victims of gang violence and domestic abuse.
Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) led the call for Sessions to overturn his decision, writing that they are "deeply alarmed and outraged."
"We are deeply alarmed and outraged over a series of actions taken by you, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security that undermine or curtail the ability of migrants lawfully requesting asylum in the United States to present their claims," they wrote.
Sessions announced in June that the Trump administration would no longer grant asylum to victims of gang violence and domestic abuse.
"The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes — such as domestic violence or gang violence — or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim," he said at the time.
Additionally, the Trump administration last week took a step toward pulling out of a court agreement limiting the government's ability to hold children seeking asylum in detention centers, The Washington Postreported.
DeLauro said in a statement on Thursday that the Trump administration's "attack on asylum seekers is cruel and un-American."
"These restrictions are shamefully designed to discourage people who face legitimate danger from seeking sanctuary and security in our country," she said. "This nation must remain a haven for those who seek to escape violence and persecution."
Source: Michael Burke