A new rule from the Trump administration would ban people from legally seeking asylum in the United States, abandoning countless LGBTQ people and others seeking safety and refuge.
After ratcheting up his efforts to spread mistruths and lies about people entering the the U.S., President Donald Trump he would issue a new executive order putting insurmountable barriers in front of most people seeking asylum in the U.S.
The order will prevent persons fleeing violent persecution from even applying for asylum if they do not enter through a limited number of official ports of entry. Today, the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice released a rule that, together with a directive expected shortly from Trump, will enact that ban. Under the ban, President Trump is threatening to indefinitely detain immigrant families and children in tent cities along the Southern border. U.S. and international law specifically guarantee the right to seek asylum to any person on U.S. soil.
Many of those seeking asylum in the U.S. are fleeing violent and life-threatening persecution, particularly LGBTQ people. Transgender people in particular often flee Central America and others regions to escape domestic and gang violence. Many have faced severe mistreatment and abuse when held in detention centers run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, condemned the proposed rule from the administration:
"The administration is stoking fear, hate, and racism in a way that will absolutely cost people their lives. Transgender people face targeted violence around the world, and many come to the United States seeking refuge and safety. Instead, they are being turned away or jailed by a President who has built a career on cruelty and inhumane treatment of people who need our help. This is nothing short of an abuse of human rights and human dignity, and we are prepared to fight it every step of the way."
