The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program (HIRC) applauds today’s decision by a San Francisco federal judge to put a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration’s ban on asylum-seekers.
In his decision, Judge Tigar stated that “…the application of the Rule will result in the denial of meritorious claims for asylum that would otherwise have been granted. That means that persons who are being persecuted on the basis of their religion, race, or other qualifying characteristic, to whom the United States would otherwise have offered refuge, will be forced to return to the site of their persecution.”
Trump’s proclamation and the Department of Homeland Security’s interim regulations would have restricted asylum only to those who present themselves at ports of entry. This would have had a devastating impact on asylum-seekers, as Custom and Border Patrol has a history of turning away migrants even after they have asked to apply for asylum.
HIRC recognizes that this is only a temporary block and we are committed to continuing to advocate for the legal rights of asylum-seekers who come to this country in search of protection.