ECNETNews, New York, NY, February 3, 2025: On a day marked nationally as a “Day Without Immigrants,” numerous immigrants’ rights groups have initiated a federal lawsuit against the current administration over its latest proclamation that aims to effectively eliminate asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Filed in Washington, D.C., the lawsuit contests the legality of this directive, which critics assert endangers thousands by blocking individuals from seeking safety in the United States.
Organizations involved in the lawsuit represent a coalition of legal service providers that assist asylum seekers, all of whom argue that the proclamation, invoking section “212(f)” of the Immigration and Nationality Act, nullifies Congress-granted asylum protections. Advocates emphasize that this maneuver leaves vulnerable individuals and families at risk by compelling them to return to perilous conditions without due process.
“The administration’s decision to suspend asylum entirely is extreme and unjust, fundamentally undermining families seeking refuge,” stated a representative from the Texas Civil Rights Project, highlighting the moral implications of such actions.
Legal experts warn that this proclamation oversteps presidential authority, with assertions that “no president has the unilateral power to override protections established by Congress for those fleeing danger,” emphasizing the legal obligations the U.S. has historically upheld related to asylum seekers.
The lawsuit aims to challenge this purported “unprecedented and illegal overreach” by the administration, reaffirming the long-standing commitment of the United States to serve as a refuge for individuals escaping persecution.
