Update: On September 11, the  U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration may curtail asylum applications at the southern border while a legal challenge to the new rule is litigated in court. Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is deeply disappointed in this ruling and continues to stand in solidarity with those seeking safety and security. We call on the U.S. government to uphold international protection standards for asylum seekers and to maintain its long history of providing asylum seekers with the opportunity to present their claims at our borders.

As an organization working with asylum seekers, refugees, and others who have been forcibly displaced in over 50 countries around the world, JRS witnesses first-hand the risks that individuals and families take as they flee their homes in search of security and safety. The right to petition for asylum is firmly established in U.S. and international law. The U.S. must continue serving as a beacon of hope for those arriving at our border and guarantee their right to seek protection.

“Our Catholic and American values call us to welcome those searching for safety and security,” says Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. “We must treat those who flee for their lives with compassion and dignity. All migrants seeking asylum around the world—including in the U.S.–deserve to be heard and to make a claim for protection.”