WASHINGTON—Today, the Department of Homeland Security began the implementation of a new asylum rule that would deny asylum to those from El Salvador and Honduras and immediately deport them to Guatemala under a ‘safe third country’ agreement.

“Immediately deporting vulnerable asylum seekers back to the same violence from which they fled is yet another way the Trump-Miller demagoguery is perverting the asylum process and making a mockery of American values,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “Make no mistake, this cruel policy undermines our legal obligations to asylum seekers under both domestic and international law and will put them in imminent danger.”

Under the agreement, asylum seekers from El Salvador and Honduras will not have access to a lawyer and will instead be deported to Guatemala under a ‘safe third country’ agreement. However, according to the U.S. State Department, many of Guatemala’s departments remain a security risk due to the major prevalence of violent crime, robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and gang activity in parts of the country.

“Trump, Miller, and the cabal of anti-immigrant cronies crafting immigration policy in the Trump Administration have created a humanitarian crisis at our Southern border,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “They simply want to end asylum for those who need it the most. However, we will fight to stop this assault on our values and protect human rights and asylum seekers every step of the way.”

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