The border closures kick in after the number of attempted illegal crossings reaches an average of 2,500 over the course of a seven-day period. When the number of encounters drops down to an average of 1,500 over a seven-day period, asylum seekers who enter the country unlawfully will again be permitted to claim asylum and remain in the country while their asylum status is pending.
In his statement, Seitz accused Biden of “imposing arbitrary limits on asylum access and curtailing due process.” He added that the measures “will only empower and embolden those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable” and “will not sustainably reduce the increased levels of forced migration seen worldwide.”
“As defenders of human life and dignity, which we hold sacred and inviolable from the moment of conception, we cannot accept unjust conditions on the right to migrate for those fleeing life-threatening situations,” the bishop continued.
Seitz said he and his colleagues are not opposed to “a country’s right and responsibility to maintain its borders and regulate immigration in furtherance of the common good” but encouraged Biden “to reverse course and recommit his administration to policies that respect the human life and dignity of migrants, both within and beyond our borders.”
Differing viewpoints
However, not all Catholics are in agreement with the bishop’s characterization of the situation. Andrew Arthur, a Catholic, former immigration judge, and current fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA he “must respectfully disagree” with Seitz.
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