According to a United Nations report, by the end of 2022 there were worldwide over 108 million refugees defined as persons displaced by violence, social conflict, and persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in a particular social group. Almost 768,000 refugees sought asylum in the United States between 1990 and 2021, some for what is known as “affirmative asylum” that grants permanent asylum status and others for “defensive asylum” to avoid deportation by a “standard removal” proceeding already in progress.
Individuals seeking asylum all have their own personal story that involves serious threats and hope for a safer future. A Venezuelan woman by the name of Yomardy who has shared her story of the happy life she had in her beautiful native country, surrounded by kind people and blessed with a celebrated career as an award-winning teacher, an achievement that won her a prestigious American scholarship. While in the U.S. she spoke out against the corruption of the Venezuelan government that has led to food shortages, high unemployment, unchecked violence, and the highest crime rate in the world. The government responded by branding her as an “enemy of the State” that made it extremely dangerous to return to Venezuela. Warned by her mother not to come home, Yomardy applied for asylum in the U.S., delaying her dream to use her enhanced expertise to work for governmental reforms in her homeland.
The process of gaining asylum in the U.S. is complicated, lengthy and stressful. The U.S. government has specific requirements for those seeking asylum: be present in the U.S.; apply within one year of last arrival; get fingerprinted and pass background security checks; and interview with an asylum official who will render a decision. In 2022, this process took about six years to complete and only about 20% of the applicants were successful.
In 2017, the American bishops issued a statement supporting a process that allows everyone who is seeking asylum to have their cases heard expeditiously and judged fairly. The bishops also called on the U.S. government to respect the international law that prohibits returning a refugee to a country where they are at risk of persecution, torture and death.
In May of 2023, President Biden instituted an “asylum travel ban” that prevents refugees from seeking asylum in the U.S. if they passed through other countries on their way to the U.S. In response, Bishop Mark Seitz, spokesperson for the USCCB on immigration, published an article in the May 2023 issue of America magazine, decrying this policy as “indefensibly regressive,” further diminishing the “rights of vulnerable persons on the move at the border” who would be in danger of exploitation by drug cartels and traffickers. The bishop went on to call for a culture of “renewed solidarity and hospitality” that would treat asylum seekers with compassion and respect.
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About the Author
Fr. James J. Bacik has served as a priest of the Diocese of Toledo since his ordination in 1962. He is a widely regarded theologian, writer, lecturer and pastor who served as campus minister and adjunct professor of humanities at the University of Toledo for more than 30 years. Fr. Bacik is an AUSCP member. Visit his website at frjimbacik.org.