I have been to detention facilities on the border. I met with people who sought asylum. I recognize the problem a number of people are targeting on this issueand I think it is a legitimate concern to raisethat too many people are claiming asylum status who are not legitimate asylees. and they are not going to win in the system and are flooding the system with requests. That is a legitimate concern. One can go into some of these detention facilities and find a lot of people who are saying they are seeking asylum and asylum status. and on its face one can question whether it is a legitimate case. That is a proper issue to raise. and I think the people who put forward this amendment are targeting a correct issue. Having said that. I have also worked with a number of people who. if you take them in this situation and say: You cant meet clear and convincing on the initial status. you are going home and wait there before you can come here for asylum status. and we send them home. they are going to prison or they are likely to disappear. They are likely to disappear in that situation. I say disappear as in being killed in those host countries to which they would go back. We can think of some pretty easy ones. I had six refugees from North Korea in my office last week. If they go home. they are in the Gulag and probably will not survive. What about Iran? What happens if someone from Iran comes to this country and seeks asylum status. and we say it doesnt look clear and convincing to us? How about Zimbabwe under Mugabe? That could happen in this situation.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization that too many people are claiming asylum status who are not legitimate asylees.