CWS demands administration uphold the right of all people fleeing violence to seek asylum and legal protection


October 19, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2018

CONTACT: media@cwsglobal.org

CWS demands administration uphold the right of all people fleeing violence to seek asylum and legal protection

CWS affirms the moral and legal obligation to protect asylum-seeking families

WASHINGTON, DC- In response to the Trump Administration’s threats to close off the U.S. southern border to a caravan of families fleeing violence in Central America, Church World Service urged the administration to adhere to U.S. and international law by upholding all people’s right to seek asylum. As several thousand Honduran migrants are en route to the U.S. border in search of protection, President Trump has threatened to block access to the legal process of seeking asylum.

“A dark moment in our history as a nation was when we turned away the MS St. Louis carrying 900 Jewish families seeking asylum and returned them to the horrors of the Holocaust,” said CWS President and CEO, Rev. John L. McCullough. “Today, asylum protections offer a last hope for people facing life-threatening conditions. CWS and faith communities across the country demand the administration uphold our moral and legal obligations to welcome people seeking protection.”

Since 1946, Church World Service has supported refugees, immigrants and other displaced individuals, in addition to providing sustainable relief and development solutions to communities that wrestle with hunger and poverty. Learn more about our work and join our global homebase for refugee solidarity at GreaterAs1.org.

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