WASHINGTON, DC – Today, following news that President Trump has issued a memo calling for harsh new restrictions on asylum seekers, Restore Public Trust released the following statement noting that the administration’s previous moves to stymie asylum requests ultimately led to the horrific family separation policy.

“President Trump made a difficult situation at our border even worse when his administration took steps to sabotage the process by illegally refusing to accept asylum applications at ports of entry from families fleeing violence and persecution,” said Karl Frisch, a spokesperson for Restore Public Trust.

He continued, “Unable to seek asylum, these families found other ways into our country only to have their children taken from them by Trump’s government as part of a policy horrifically designed to discourage others from coming to our country for help.”

“These new restrictions will only make the asylum-seeking process even more unattainable. And with conflicting reports that Trump may return to the family separation policy he was forced to abandon in the face of near universal condemnation, we should all be worried,” he continued.

Earlier this year, Restore Public Trust launched a broader campaign to hold accountable the agencies, companies, and individuals who are responsible for developing, implementing, and/or defending the family separation policy. The group formed a coalition of more than 40 civil rights, immigration, government accountability and other organizations calling on America’s CEOs to make clear they will not hire for employment, contract for consulting, or seat on their boards anyone involved in the development or implementation of the administration’s family separation policy.

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