![WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 1, 2021: Marchers demanding the Biden administration make progress on immigration reform, head to a rally near the US Capitol. March began at Black Lives Matter Plaza.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2024/03/biden-border-policy-s-400x400.jpg)
Biden's Border Politics Won't Fix Our Immigration System
March 7, 2024
At the end of 2023, migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border hit a record high of 250,000, with a surge of individuals and families entering cities like Chicago, Denver, New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. Despite this, politicians and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to struggle to meet demands and refuse to compromise on border policies, leaving the wellbeing of asylum seekers in jeopardy.
In early February, a sweeping supplemental funding package for national security failed in the Senate. This package would have eviscerated protections for people seeking asylum, in exchange for unrelated foreign aid by imposing shutdowns to the U.S.-Mexico border and an unprecedented increase in funding for punitive immigration policies through taxpayer dollars, among other harsh measures.
We know that cruel immigration policies do not stop migration — they simply put more people in danger. As the conversation about border control and immigration becomes steeped in election year politics, it's imperative for us to mobilize lawmakers and political leaders to pass humane and effective immigration policies that meet the dire needs of the current moment.
Joining us to give an update on the state of immigration policy today and its significance for this election year is Naureen Shah, deputy director of governmental affairs for the ACLU's Equality Division.
In this episode
![Naureen Shah](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/07/naureen_headshot-150x150.jpg)
Naureen Shah
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, Equality Division, ACLU National Political Advocacy Division
Kendall Ciesemier
Former Host of At Liberty and Senior Executive Producer of Multimedia, American Civil Liberties Union
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