As Muslim Visionaries committed to justice and solidarity across all communities, we stand with the Latino community in expressing our profound disappointment with the recent bipartisan border agreement endorsed by the U.S. Senate and the Biden administration.
This agreement, with its stringent and impractical measures, not only fails to address the crucial issue of the long-term undocumented individuals—who are integral parts of our communities as family members, coworkers, schoolmates, and neighbors—but also signifies a continuation of policies that have detrimentally affected our nation for decades.
We recognize the complex challenges in navigating the divisive terrain of Congress to achieve meaningful immigration reform and manage migrant arrivals at the southern border. However, the current trajectory towards managing migration, as manifested in this agreement, does not align with the balanced, humane solutions that both the Latino community and we advocate for.
Solutions that ensure enforcement is coupled with relief for immigrants already residing within our borders. The deal, despite incorporating necessary improvements to the asylum system and provisions for the most vulnerable, remains overwhelmingly punitive and fails to enhance conditions at the border or safeguard essential protections.
This deficiency risks paving the way for more severe measures, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis—a direction that neither we nor the Latino community can support. It is particularly disheartening and unacceptable that Latino leaders, representing the communities most adversely affected by these policies, were excluded from the negotiation process.
This oversight is not only alarming but indicative of a broader issue within our immigration policy discourse—one that continues to marginalize the voices of those most impacted. A comprehensive and compassionate approach to immigration is the only path forward.
Such an approach must address all facets of our outdated immigration system, including a functional asylum process, secure borders that reflect our values and sovereignty, legal status for long-term residents like DREAMers, and a system that supports the entry of future workers to meet the needs of our economy.
The time for action is now. For more than three decades, the absence of decisive action has perpetuated a cycle of harm and division. We urge Congress to move beyond mere rhetoric and enact a genuine solution that reflects our shared values of compassion, dignity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their origin. In solidarity with the Latino community and all those who seek justice, we call for immediate and inclusive reform that upholds the principles of humanity.
Thank you!
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