EL PASO, Texas – El Paso County Commissioner David Stout, chairman of the Texas Border Coalition (TBC), today issued the following statement condemning the Biden Administration’s proposed “Remain in Texas” policy, which would require some migrant families entering the country to remain in Texas-Mexico border communities while they await their asylum screenings:

“The proposed ‘Remain in Texas’ policy by the Biden Administration, while aiming to address immigration challenges, places an undue burden on border communities and violates the rights of asylum seekers to freedom of movement and due process. 

“This proposed policy would strain communities along the border whose resources are already stretched thin. Our border communities should not be treated as political pawns by Republicans nor Democrats, and neither should refugees suffering from unstable and many times life-threatening situations who have endured an equally dangerous trek to get to the United States. 

“We implore the Biden Administration to reconsider this approach and work with affected border communities and advocacy groups to develop a more balanced and sustainable solution.”