Urge Congress to Uphold the Rights of Asylum Seekers

Recently, we have seen federal policies focus on punitive and restrictive measures in efforts to deter individuals from seeking asylum in the United States. These policies continue to fail. They fail to deter asylum seekers. They fail to bring order to the border. They fail to provide the resources and coordination that welcoming cities need to support non-citizen communities who are entering through the U.S.-Mexico border.

Your voice matters: Let the Congress know that you stand with asylum seekers.

Send a message to your representatives to uphold the rights of asylum seekers and ensure that the U.S. is implementing policies that meet both the needs of the people seeking safety and the needs of our nation.

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Dear {contact_data~salutation},

I am writing to you today to ask you to uphold the rights of asylum seekers and ensure that the U.S. is implementing policies that meet both the needs of the people seeking safety and the needs of our nation. Recently, we have seen federal policies focus on punitive and restrictive measures in efforts to deter individuals from seeking asylum in the United States. These policies continue to fail. They fail to deter asylum seekers. They fail to bring order to the border. They fail to provide the resources and coordination that welcoming cities need to support non-citizen communities who are entering through the U.S.-Mexico border.

As my elected representative, I am asking you to support the following meaningful changes that will better support asylum seekers, make our borders more secure, and properly resource our welcoming communities nationwide:

1.	Support border infrastructure: We need more funding for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO). These are the officers who process asylum seekers at our ports of entry. With dependable and fair access to ports of entry, fewer individuals are forced to cross between our nation’s ports of entry as they seek safety from persecution and life-threatening conditions in Mexico.
2.	Address the backlogs: Increase funding to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and immigration courts for more efficient adjudication of asylum applications and work authorization for asylum seekers. 
3.	Resource welcoming communities: Increase funding for the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) which is the sole federal funding stream that supports local communities with shelter and supportive services. 
4.	Let asylum seekers work: Support the right of asylum seekers to work. The current waiting period is 180 days which places undue burdens on the communities receiving asylum seekers and denies the basic dignity to the noncitizens who are trying to rebuild their lives. Support the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act in the House and the ASPIRE Act in the Senate which would go a long way in addressing these obstacles. 
5.	Advance lawful pathways: Support the solutions that provide alternative options to Western Hemisphere migrants who could otherwise depend on criminal organizations for information and migration options. Current options include increased funding for the Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs) and the CHNV humanitarian parole programs.

Creating a dependable and sustainable infrastructure for asylum seekers and other migrants in the United States will support our nation’s security, support our communities, and set an example for partners in the region.

Thank you,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State}

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Urge Congress to Uphold the Rights of Asylum Seekers

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