Since October, Senate negotiators have been working on a bill that trades emergency funding for allies abroad with drastic cuts in humanitarian relief for those seeking refuge in the US. This legislation, known as the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, would create entirely new procedures for adjudicating asylum cases while also raising the standard of proof that applicants must meet to qualify for protection. The bill also allows for the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to effectively shutdown crossings between ports of entry, and even requires the Secretary to do so under certain circumstances. The result would be to devastate a humanitarian system that has been a lifeline to thousands of families fleeing political upheavals around the world.

Although the bill’s language was only made public on Sunday night, the Senate is pushing to move quickly and is looking for the first procedural vote to be this Wednesday. Our Senators need to hear from you today if we are to make our voices heard on this regressive bill.