June 6, 2024 - The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism condemns President Biden's executive order that would close the U.S. border when crossings exceed a daily average of 2,500 over one week. This order effectively closes the border immediately and significantly restricts asylum access, allowing officials to remove migrants without reviewing cases.
Congress has repeatedly refused to consider common sense immigration reform proposals, weakening our immigration system overall. It is past time for this issue to stop being a political football and, instead, for policy makers to address these challenges in the serious and humane way they deserve.
Deterrence-based policies do not reduce numbers at the border and only harm those fleeing harm and persecution. As Jews, we know too well the harm of turning away those seeking refuge. Our own historical experiences throughout the centuries remind us what it is like to be uprooted from home and to seek refuge in other countries. It is this history that inspires us to strongly urge the Biden administration and Congress to champion solutions to create a just and humane asylum system for all those who seek refuge.