FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2018
Contact: Dorothy He
(872) 600-9517 / dhe@napawf.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a new Trump administration ruling overturned asylum protections for several previously protected classes of immigrants, including victims of domestic abuse and gang violence. In 2016 alone, over 60,000 individuals from Central American countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, applied for asylum in the U.S., the vast majority seeking protection from criminal violence. Asylum is an obligation per international law and remains a legal and valid protection in the U.S. legal system.

NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“Once again, women, children, and other marginalized individuals are being made to exemplify the human cost of this administration’s cruel attacks on our immigration system. Today’s announcement from the Department of Justice lays bare this administration’s complete lack of empathy and blatant disregard for human rights, especially for women.

“NAPAWF strongly condemns the move by the Trump administration to deny asylum to vulnerable individuals who need it most. Asylum is a moral imperative — we have a duty to protect those who are fleeing unspeakable danger and trauma due to gang violence or war. At a time when immigrant women’s rights are being attacked at every turn, we call on Congress to ensure the protection of immigrant survivors of violence by strengthening the Violence Against Women Act in its upcoming reauthorization.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for AAPI women and girls.