FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2024
Franciscans Say NO to Senate Supplemental Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. – “Franciscan Action Network (FAN) cannot accept a bill that pits communities against each other and offers no humane solution for increasing numbers of migrants at our southern border,” says Sister Marie Lucey, Associate Director. “In order to achieve funding for Ukraine, Israel and others, the Senate negotiating committee has proposed The Border Act in which a very few positive elements are far outweighed by harmful measures that extremely limit access to asylum for people seeking safety and freedom in this country. While acknowledging the need to secure this country’s borders, we cannot support a bill that allows officials to expel asylum seekers without processing when daily numbers are 4,000 people per day, making screening interviews amount to a calendar lottery, and would provide historically high funding for detention, would raise the credible fear standard, and greatly limit access to legal counsel. FAN continues to call for an orderly, efficient, humane asylum process that recognizes the God-given dignity of all persons. The Border Act is not a solution.”
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