The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated their pledge to increase protections for stateless people in the country.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the organization would seek to secure rights for people seeking to qualify for immigration status.
“Statelessness presents significant humanitarian concerns that require a careful and thoughtful response specifically tailored to the distinct and diverse needs of stateless persons,” Mayorkas said. “DHS is committed to pursuing initiatives to enhance recognition of, and protections for, vulnerable populations, including stateless individuals within the United States.”
The organization hopes to craft a definitive meaning of statelessness for “the purposes of immigration processes and enhancing protections for stateless individuals” in the country, according to the press release.
DHS hopes to protect that they understand the specific obstacles faced by stateless individuals to better protect, along with eliminating barriers in the process of accessing legal immigration status and the benefits associated with it, according to a news release.
The organization hopes that by mitigating obstacles they will develop a more just immigration system.
“DHS will engage on a continuing basis with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), interagency partners and the public to communicate its commitments, to receive feedback on proposed initiatives and importantly, to announce further actions to support stateless individuals in the United States, helping to address the global issue of statelessness,” the organization said in a news release.
