CHC Chair Barragán, Deputy Espaillat, and Whip Garcia Urge Fair and Balanced Immigration Executive Order

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Deputy Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Whip Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s immigration Executive Order issued today. 

“We recognize that our immigration system is broken and that our country needs humane, inclusive, and orderly solutions to address the challenges at the Southern Border. We recently met with the administration to discuss executive orders that our Caucus proposes to address the Southern Border and provide relief to immigrants. We have supported border protection initiatives, more immigration judges, expedited processing of asylum claims, and federal resources to stop the flow of fentanyl.

“Today’s executive order severely limits access to asylum and is deeply concerning to our caucus. Such measures impede progress and harm migrants fleeing violence and persecution, who otherwise would present a credible and meritorious case for asylum. Enforcement-only strategies have repeatedly proven ineffective and only create more chaos at the border. 

“We should foster safe and humane systems for people fleeing their home region due to violence, famine, political instability, or climate change while upholding our current immigration laws and a right to asylum. We encourage the White House to take immediate executive actions that would keep families together by providing relief to long-term immigrants, including protections for spouses of U.S. citizens by providing them work permits, and increased processing resources.  We should also prioritize policies that benefit the farmworkers that feed us and allow caregivers in mixed-status families, including Dreamers, to seek relief from deportation.”

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