Refugees International Welcomes AG Decision to Vacate Matter of A-B- and Matter of L-E-A-

By Yael Schacher | June 16, 2021

Please see below statement from Refugees International Senior U.S. Advocate Yael Schacher:

“Refugees International welcomes the Biden administration’s crucial step today to restore the U.S. asylum system. The Attorney General vacated Matter of A-B- and Matter of L-E-A-, decisions that drastically restricted asylum eligibility for those who fled domestic or gang violence or violence targeting their family members. These decisions disparately affected Central Americans who fled persecution and sought refuge in the United States. They resulted in many people being wrongly denied protection and ordered deported to face the dangers they had fled.

In vacating these decisions, the Attorney General condemned “broad” rulings that “presume” all claims of a certain kind — and particularly gender-based claims—lack merit and instead encouraged individualized case by case adjudication in line with U.S. law.

In the coming months, Refugees International looks forward to the promulgation of a regulation that interprets the definition of a “particular social group” in a way that meaningfully protects those forced to flee persecution and is alignment with international human rights standards.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org.

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland departs after speaking during an event at the Justice Department June 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images).