A law to prohibit the indefinite detention of migrants and asylum seekers

"This administration treats asylum seekers on our southern border as criminals the moment they arrive in the United States."

Por:
Senator Cory Booker.
A group of Central American immigrants detained on the border between Texas and Mexico seeking asylum in the United States.
A group of Central American immigrants detained on the border between Texas and Mexico seeking asylum in the United States.
Imagen Getty Images

Earlier this week, President Trump announced drastic changes that will make it nearly impossible for individuals fleeing violence to legally claim asylum in the United States. And earlier this month, Attorney General Bill Barr announced his decision to allow the indefinite detention of asylum seekers in federal custody.

PUBLICIDAD

These policies aren’t just reprehensible, immoral and un-American -- they violate the values enshrined in the Constitution.

Por la familia, todo: Ruben Gallego on Running to be Arizona’s First Latino Senator
Rubén Gallego

As my mom worked and parented, all in one breath, she instilled in us the values that I carry with me today: “por la familia, todo.” Lee este contenido en <a href="https://www.univision.com/noticias/opinion/por-la-familia-todo-ruben-gallego-sobre-su-candidatura-para-ser-el-primer-senador-latino-de-arizona" target="_blank" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000147-f3a5-d4ea-a95f-fbb7f52b0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1726508089253,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;0000017b-d1c8-de50-affb-f1df3e1d0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1726508089253,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;0000017b-d1c8-de50-affb-f1df3e1d0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;target&quot;:&quot;NEW&quot;,&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.univision.com/noticias/opinion/por-la-familia-todo-ruben-gallego-sobre-su-candidatura-para-ser-el-primer-senador-latino-de-arizona&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000191-fbe6-d0b9-a3df-ffee82b60000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a&quot;},&quot;linkText&quot;:&quot;español&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000191-fbe6-d0b9-a3df-ffee82b10000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288&quot;}">español</a>.

The most consequential immigration - and economic - issue of the 2024 campaign
Vanessa Cardenas.

&quot;What a sad reflection that the Republican Party has moved from Abraham Lincoln, who <a href="https://www.lincolncottage.org/lincoln-and-immigration/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lincolncottage.org/lincoln-and-immigration/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722615259799000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1h4-6RbvpglrZVIbOjgpuE" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">said </a>immigration was a ‘source of national wealth and strength’ and Ronald Reagan, who <a href="https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/farewell-address-nation" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/farewell-address-nation&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722615259799000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3smYQcjpnK2Yg75NSEOBUf" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">called </a>for his ‘city on the hill’ to be ‘open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here,’ to Donald Trump, who <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-says-immigrants-are-poisoning-blood-country-biden-campaign-liken-rcna130141" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-says-immigrants-are-poisoning-blood-country-biden-campaign-liken-rcna130141&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722615259799000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1u4LrDvU2tKeNxJCdbz96i" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">says </a>immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood of our country&quot;.

President Biden has the power to keep families together. It’s time for him to use it
Catherine Cortez Masto

&quot;Our current immigration laws include so many hurdles that can keep families in limbo, and even being married to a U.S. citizen isn’t always enough to allow someone to get a green card&quot;.

President Biden is a champion for Dreamers: we must reelect him come november
Cindy Nava.

&quot;For those of us whose livelihoods depend on it, President Biden’s actions to protect and preserve DACA show a striking contrast with those of Trump and MAGA Republicans. Trump has a record of trying to end DACA and will try again if he wins another term&quot;.

How Trump's relentless anti-immigrant focus is tied to his threats to democracy
Vanessa Cardenas.

&quot;While immigrants by now are accustomed to being the tip of the spear in the GOP’s arsenal of attacks, let&#39;s be clear-eyed that the threat now is beyond harming immigrant communities or calling attention to the border. This is about using this issue as a tool to further Trump’s political ambitions, even if that means suppressing the right to vote, undermining our election results, or stoking more political violence&quot;.

Congressional democrats remain focused on delivering for latino communities
Chuck Schumer and Pete Aguilar

&quot;This month comes at a special moment in our nation’s history. For the first time, we have more Latinos serving in Congress than ever before. In the Senate, the Democratic Majority has confirmed a historic number of Latino judicial nominees and recently confirmed the first Latina to serve on the Federal Reserve in the Board’s 109-year history&quot;.

The Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer for latinos
Tom Perez.

&quot;This is the clean energy boom unleashed by President Biden: good-paying jobs in a fast-growing industry and lower bills for working families — all while addressing the climate crisis affecting our lives&quot;.

The beautiful act of indicting former presidents
Jorge Ramos

Putting presidents, former presidents and coup plotters on trial is an honorable and necessary practice to maintain a healthy democracy. Failure to put on trial presidents or former presidents who broke the law or committed crimes has had devastating consequences in Latin America.

Death in Juarez
Jorge Ramos

Mexico&#39;s migrant policy bears responsibility for the deaths of 39 migrants in the fire at a detention center in Ciudad Juarez. They were in the custody of the Mexican government, in a federal facility.

Death in Juarez

Opinion
5 mins

Which is why I introduced the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act in the Senate this week alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)in the House of Representatives.

Our bill will prohibit this administration —and prevent any future administrations— from detaining asylum seekers and immigrants indefinitely by mandating that those detained are able to appear before an immigration judge for a bond hearing.

This administration treats asylum seekers as criminals the moment they set foot on American soil. Our bill treats asylum seekers with the humanity they deserve. Our bill will require the government to make the case for the use of detention, not use it as a default, so that detention is used only as a last resort and in extreme cases when an individual poses a danger to the community or a flight risk.

Finally, our bill will end the use of private prisons and county jails to detain immigrants and dramatically increase oversight of federal immigration detention facilities to protect the civil and human rights of immigrants and asylum seekers.

Many people are living in fear because of this administration’s un-American approach to immigration. We can’t wait to act. Let us speak in a chorus of conviction: help is on the way. There is a better day to come.

(Cory Booker is United States Senator for New Jersey and presidential candidate for the Democratic Party)

Relacionados: