Washington, D.C. – The New York Times recently reported the Biden administration is considering reinstating detention of families. The harmful practice of detaining migrant families is a cruel relic of both the former Trump and Obama administrations. In 2021, President Biden originally fulfilled a campaign promise by ending the practice of detaining families. In reinstating this policy, President Biden would be betraying a promise he made.
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy of United We Dream, said:
“Throughout his campaign for President, Joe Biden referred to a ‘battle for the soul of the nation’, a callback to a piece he authored in the aftermath of the violent Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Unfortunately, as reports indicate, the Administration is considering reinstating the practice of detaining migrant families and in doing so President Biden is self-sabotaging his own promises and vision for our country.
People will always move: for a better life, to be reunited with family, out of displacement. We need President Biden to reject MAGA policies, not support them. The Biden administration must reverse course and make their values clear with actions by ensuring families can seek asylum without being detained, while creating and expanding pathways to citizenship.”
