National/International News

VT attorney general urges feds to ensure asylum access


by Scott McClallen for the Center Square

(The Center Square) – Twelve attorneys general are urging the federal government to ensure access to asylum as the immigration program known as Title 42 will end in May.

The coalition says the current asylum proposed rule is inconsistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act and could potentially harm already asylum seekers and the states that welcome them.

“Our desire is to avoid, or at least mitigate, this potential harm, and to ensure that the Nation’s treaty obligations and the fundamental human right to seek asylum in the United States are respected,” the group wrote in a letter.

In the comment letter, the coalition urges the federal government to continue to explore commonsense solutions to protect access to asylum.

“Making the asylum process more difficult is not how we should be treating refugees arriving on our borders,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Those who flee violent or oppressive nations are trying to arrive in a safe place as expeditiously as possible. Their eligibility for asylum should not be dependent on the routes they take to achieve that safety. Asylees can be successfully integrated into our state workforces and can make significant contributions to businesses during this time of labor shortages. They should not face increased barriers in trying to do so. In 2022 alone, Michigan was one of the top four states in refugees resettled nationwide after California, Texas, and New York. I stand firmly with my colleagues in asking DOJ and DHS to preserve the right-to-asylum provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

Under the current proposed rule, the federal government, in light of an anticipated increase in border asylum claims when Title 42 is set to end on May 11, 2023, would largely require migrants to follow the rules specified pathways to secure protection in the United States.

The coalition says the federal government is proposing 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 before their arrival, or used the Customs and Border Patrol online application to make an appointment to present themselves to immigration officials.

In the comment letter, the coalition says:

  • 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, Nessel is joined by the attorneys general of California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

7 replies »

  1. No let’s stop the invasion of America. You either come in the right way or be prosecuted and returned. This is ridiculous hat these Democrats are doing to America. Can’t even afford to live in Vt now unless your an out of state liberal lunatic. Disgusting…. COMMINISTS…

  2. Unfortunately, the “asylum” that many are seeking is simply asylum from the lesser economic conditions, the crime, prosecution for their own crimes, lesser opportunity to make a living through crime, etc. The U.S. provides that.

  3. Two things these coalitions never mention or suggest-
    1. The “safe third country” rule is not a “barrier”. So many “asylum applicants” from Guatemala and El Sal STOP in Mexico for MONTHS and work at resorts and restaurants along the Pacific to make money- TO PAY THE CARTEL to bring them across the border. (when libs legalized weed, they lost an entire industry overnight and moved into fentanyl and humans instead)
    These are not dangerous places like you believe and many many AMERICANS even own property there. They can apply for asylum in Mexico and stay there. They choose America for the increased economic opportunities.
    2. There are absolutely no resources for enforcement of a JUDGES removal order once an asylum applicants claim is denied under PRESIDENT BIDEN and there are currently over ONE MILLION in the US in this status.
    Everyone in North a Central America seems to know this was a last “cow call” for the forth coming amnesty bill except for American liberals. Wonder why.

  4. “The coalition says the current asylum proposed rule is inconsistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act and could potentially harm already asylum seekers and the states that welcome them.” How about the states that have already absorbed enough,or just don’t want any ? Should they be forced to take more ?

  5. Is Vermont’s new Attorney General aware of one of the basic problems cited by leaders in her own party…the shortage of affordable housing? Is she aware that high housing costs have broad economic consequences in employment and job creation? She seems intelligent but is she versed in the basic economic concept of the price of a commodity being a factor of supply and demand, and that the real estate market, both for owners and renters is closely responsive to those factors? Does she think that allowing hundreds of thousands of indigent migrants into the country will make the shortage of affordable housing better or worse? I suppose the overall question to be asked is: why do Vermonters keep voting against our own self interests by consistently electing woke democrats?

  6. No thanks send them home, no affordable housing here or good paying jobs.

  7. They do it b/c they’re organized.
    Why are we asking the same questions and pretending that the opposition understands laws? They don’t care. Have ya’s noticed??
    So, what’s the remedy? Lament about how people keep voting for the same nonsense? Really?
    My suggestion is for people to organize and bring these immigrants to church. Yeah, you read correctly. There ain’t no winning this unless you get these folks on your side, and off of the side of the Progressives.