This week, the Supreme Court issued two harmful decisions on immigration, with a landmark decision on birthright citizenship also expected over the next few days.
Denying Asylum
On Thursday, the court ruled that people turned away at a border are not entitled to apply for asylum.
As FCNL’s Anika Forrest explained, this decision “paves the way for the U.S. government to deliberately deprive asylum seekers of their right to seek protection.”
Both U.S. and international law enshrine the right to seek asylum at a border to protect people fleeing persecution.
As FCNL said in a 2023 statement with AFSC, asylum seekers are our neighbors – people “who risked everything to undertake perilous journeys in the desperate hope that the United States might truly be a place that lives its stated values.”
Turning our backs on them is a betrayal of our moral and legal duty to provide safety to those seeking sanctuary.
Revoking TPS
Also on Thursday, the court issued a decision permitting President Trump cruelly revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from Syria and Haiti.
TPS is meant to prevent people from being deported to unsafe conditions in countries impacted by conflict, instability, and natural disasters.
“This is not simply a legal outcome,” said Dahlia Doe, a Syrian TPS recipient and lead plaintiff in the case. “For us it is the loss of stability, the fear of separation from our families, and the uncertainty of what comes next.”
“We are parents, workers, students, caregivers, and neighbors,” Doe said. “Despite this disappointing decision, our contributions and our humanity remain unchanged.”
What’s at Stake in the Birthright Citizenship Case
In the birthright citizenship case, the Trump administration is seeking to upend the principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment that every person born in the United States is a citizen.
While we don’t know how the court will rule, the stakes are clear, as one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs explained:
“What does it mean to be an American? Will we adhere to the best of American history and protect the values of equal citizenship and opportunity?”
“Or will we turn the clock back?”
Elsewhere
Historic Rebuke of Iran War
This week, Congress passed a bipartisan War Powers Resolution (H.Con.Res.86) which directs President Trump to end the illegal and immoral war on Iran – the first resolution of its kind in history! Peace activists like you made this vote happen. You organized, called, and lobbied for peace.
Some folks are dismissing this as just a symbolic vote, but Congress wrote the law to be applied in exactly this way. This vote is about more than this war. It is about Congress’ fundamental authority. As FCNL’s Bridget Moix put it, “No president should be able to take the country to war alone.”
We need to keep pushing for a diplomatic resolution. The Senate must advance S.J.Res.185 (which focuses on Iran) and the House must advance H.Con.Res.108 (concerning Lebanon) to keep the pressure on. The developing, fragile peace deal needs a chance to succeed. That is Congress’ role right now.
Massive Pentagon Budget Does Not Serve Us
Senator Ed Markey (MA) introduced legislation to cut the Pentagon’s bloated budget and reinvest in spending that helps America flourish. FCNL’s Allen Hester spoke at a press conference announcing this legislation, sharing a faith perspective. As he put it, “A nation that neglects its sick, its hungry, its unhoused, and its children …. while funneling all of the resources to fix those problems into [the military], is fundamentally insecure.”
Voices from FCNL
- Ever wondered how Quaker identity shows up at FCNL? Alicia McBride, FCNL’s senior director of Quaker leadership, just published a pamphlet on Quaker Faith and Practice at FCNL to explore this question.
- In a tough Congress, there have been some real wins for Native American communities in the appropriations process. FCNL’s Rachel Overstreet lays out the current state of play.
