ACLU Statement on the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Cornyn and Kyrsten Sinema, and Reps. Henry Cuellar and Tony Gonzales introduced the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act today.

Jonathan Blazer, director of border strategies at the American Civil Liberties Union, said:

“Rather than building a fair and humane system for people fleeing danger and seeking protection, the bill instead works within the failed framework of deterrence and detention designed to short-circuit due process. While this bill includes some positive provisions, any proposal that further increases reliance on Customs and Border Protection in the asylum and detention process is a step in the wrong direction, given the agency’s record of abuse. We are also concerned about provisions that jeopardize due process for people seeking asylum, erect unnecessary barriers to releasing children to their families, and subject even more people to cruelty and danger in detention. Americans deserve thoughtful, humane solutions to address our broken immigration system that don’t inflict further harms on people fleeing danger.”