Immigration advocates in Maine are condemning a proposed federal rule that would restrict entry for asylum seekers at the United States' southern border.
The rule would bar entry to many individuals if they do not schedule an appointment at a border crossing in advance of their arrival, or if they do not seek asylum in one of the countries they travel through on the way to the U.S.
Lisa Parisio, senior policy and outreach attorney at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, said the proposed rule is overly restrictive for certain groups of people.
"In effect, you know, this rule is blocking asylum for Black and Brown people who have no other way to enter the country," Parisio said.
In a written statement, ILAP also accused the Biden Administration of hypocrisy and racism in proposing this rule, echoing the view of other advocacy groups across the country.
"Biden applauded Poland’s welcoming of mostly white asylum seekers from Ukraine," ILAP wrote, referring to the president's remarks during a recent trip to Poland. "All people in need of humanitarian protection should be welcomed."
In its notice of proposed rulemaking, the administration said it is pursuing this change in anticipation of the Title 42 public health order ending this spring. That rule, first put in place by the Trump administration, has allowed border officials to block asylum seekers from entering the country, and to quickly expel migrants who do cross the border.
The Biden administration wrote that when Title 42 is lifted, "the number of migrants seeking to cross the [southwest border] without lawful authorization to do so is expected to increase significantly, unless other policy changes are made."
