English: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Amidst families seeking asylum arriving in Albuquerque and reports about the Trump Administration’s plans to deport children back to their countries of origin, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) held a listening session with Albuquerque interfaith leaders and families seeking asylum.

At the meeting, Congresswoman Haaland thanked the interfaith leaders for their work and heard stories from the families who recently arrived in Albuquerque. The interfaith groups expressed their concerns about the conditions in which asylees are processed before they arrive, the potential for the administration to deport unaccompanied minors to dangerous situations, and funding to support their work in the long term.

“Our community has, with open arms, welcomed and helped support these families who are on a journey to escape unstable conditions. I’m proud to say I’m from New Mexico,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland. “The situation this administration has created by ignoring the real issues and mismanaging resources is unacceptable. I’ll be supporting budget priorities that focus resources on humanely processing families arriving at the border, as well as dealing with the backlog for asylum requests.”

In February, Congresswoman Haaland toured sections of the border with Customs and Border Patrol personnel, sat down with local advocates representing migrants fleeing violence and in order to use their legal right to asylum, and visited a hospitality center for migrants managed by the non-profit Annunciation House.