Washington, DC – The White House is increasing pressure on members of the United States Congress in pursuit of a deal that could result in aid for Ukraine being approved in exchange for potential asylum restrictions.
One of those currently seeking asylum in the US is Ornela Medom, a 28-year-old who fled war-torn Cameroon. She expressed her concerns at a “Save Asylum” demonstration outside the Capitol, stating that she is horrified by the potential implications of a new immigration deal.
“I’m so sad and I’m so scared,” Medom said on Thursday, just a day after Republican and Democratic senators hinted at an imminent vote on a deal.
Speaker Mike Johnson also suggested on Wednesday that Republicans in the House of Representatives may take a tougher stance on access at the US-Mexico border.
“Our lives depend on these secret negotiations that are ongoing,” said Medom, who arrived in the US through the southern border in April. “I am pleading for them to think about us”.
A group of progressive and Hispanic legislators also attended Thursday’s news conference, urging Democrats not to accept major changes to US border law as part of any deal.
Article from www.aljazeera.com