NEW YORK – Following the Biden administration’s announcement of a new rule that would deny many from seeking asylum based on their manner of entry or transit through other countries, T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization representing over 2,300 rabbis and cantors nationwide, highlighted how this new policy is a fundamental departure from how our life-saving asylum system should work.
In a statement, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, pointed to how this new rule would endanger asylum seekers and violate our moral and international human rights obligations:
“T’ruah will never stop fighting for the United States to fulfill its moral obligation to protect asylum seekers. Seeking asylum is a fundamental, protected human right. Xenophobic policies such as this new ruling and Title 42 deny asylum seekers a dignified, just, transparent, and timely system to gain legal entry into the United States. Instead of strengthening systems to access asylum, the Biden administration wants to reject more people and send them back to danger.
“The new proposed rule says that people must first apply for safety in other countries before asking for protection from the United States—even if they would not actually be safe. Those who come to the U.S. without doing so would be immediately turned away regardless of the severity of their asylum claim, exposing them to even more danger. Instead of implementing this harmful rule, the Biden administration must prioritize the protection of human life above all else.
“The Torah teaches the obligation to extend love and care to people from outside our home society: ‘You shall love this person as yourself, for you were gerim [foreigners] in the land of Egypt.’ (Leviticus 19:34).
“As Jews, we know that immigration policy can be a matter of life or death. Many of our own families fled danger to find refuge in the United States, and many of our family members died after this country’s borders were closed to them. We must not let history continue to repeat itself. We remain committed to being a loud moral voice advocating for a just and transparent system for asylum seekers to gain legal entry into the United States.”
