News
New Trump Proposal Would Force Thousands of Asylum Seekers to Apply for Refugee Status – in Guatemala

The Trump administration is working on a proposal that would force thousands of asylum seekers currently at the Southern border to travel to Guatemala to seek refugee status.
In an exclusive report The American Prospect’s Marcia Brown and David Dayen explain the U.S. is effectively seeking to “outsource” asylum seekers to a “safe third country,” specifically, Guatemala.
The proposal could become finalized as early as Monday.
Key in the details is that this new program would render those seeking refuge “ineligible to apply for refugee status in the U.S.”
Democratic U.S Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon was asked to weigh in.
“The whole idea [is] that we can take people from Honduras and El Salvador and fly them to Guatemala, where they’re absolutely in worse shape, they don’t have friends or family or funds, so they’re much more vulnerable, so they’re going from desperation to desperation,” Sen. Merkley said.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee notes too that Guatemala is not a safe country:
Chairman @RepEliotEngel: #Guatemala and #Mexico are not safe for migrants, so it’s baffling that Trump is attempting to negotiate “safe third country” agreements with them. (1/6)https://t.co/lqR3byYZNM
— House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) July 12, 2019
Last month Trump hinted at the program:
….long before they get to our Southern Border. Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement. The only ones who won’t do anything are the Democrats in Congress. They must vote to get rid of the loopholes, and fix asylum! If so, Border Crisis will end quickly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
On a related note, President Trump earlier Friday announced his ICE deportation raids will begin Sunday.
Image by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr and a CC license
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