Just to remind everyone, Venezuelans are fleeing an authoritarian government with a proven record of oppressing its own people and singling out its critics and opponents for persecution. In other words, and unlike economic migrants from other countries, they have a prima facie case for asylum eligibility under treaties to which the United States are a party. Gang members should certainly be identified and excluded, as should supporters of the Maduro regime -- but these identifications must be proven, not taken for granted. Venezuelans -- like Uyghurs, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Burmese, to name some other obvious cases -- cannot simply be assumed to be lying and denied entry or expelled without a fair hearing.
As to the Venezuelans' authoritarian government and its record of oppressing its own people, singling out for special persecution its critics and opponents, and brutally ensconcing itself in power -- the revealed Republican attitude, so far from disapproval, is clearly "Gee, we want one like that too!"
We're about to have yet another demonstration of the Republicans' attitude toward asylum seekers, legitimate or not. Eduardo Bolsonaro, middle son of ex-President, convicted election tamperer, and formally charged insurrectionist Jaír Bolsonaro, has requested a leave of absence from his responsibilities as a Federal Deputy in Brazil's Congress and announced his intention to request political asylum in the United States on the basis of "persecution", and because he's afraid that, if he doesn't flee, his passport will be confiscated and he won't be allowed to leave.
Eduardo is, in my view, the most dangerous Bolsonaro, because he's the smartest Bolsonaro (not a high bar to overcome in that family, but still) and he has the most extensive international network, as a close associate of Steve Bannon, on friendly terms with Viktor Órban, and a frequent guest at CPAC.
Brazil's courts are still operating freely, they just turned down a request from the Public Prosecutor to take Eduardo's passport as having no probable cause, and he has legislative immunity, but I have no doubt that his asylum request will be received favorably and expedited, and that he'll never see the inside of a Salvadoran jail.
Just to remind everyone, Venezuelans are fleeing an authoritarian government with a proven record of oppressing its own people and singling out its critics and opponents for persecution. In other words, and unlike economic migrants from other countries, they have a prima facie case for asylum eligibility under treaties to which the United States are a party. Gang members should certainly be identified and excluded, as should supporters of the Maduro regime -- but these identifications must be proven, not taken for granted. Venezuelans -- like Uyghurs, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Burmese, to name some other obvious cases -- cannot simply be assumed to be lying and denied entry or expelled without a fair hearing.
As to the Venezuelans' authoritarian government and its record of oppressing its own people, singling out for special persecution its critics and opponents, and brutally ensconcing itself in power -- the revealed Republican attitude, so far from disapproval, is clearly "Gee, we want one like that too!"
We're about to have yet another demonstration of the Republicans' attitude toward asylum seekers, legitimate or not. Eduardo Bolsonaro, middle son of ex-President, convicted election tamperer, and formally charged insurrectionist Jaír Bolsonaro, has requested a leave of absence from his responsibilities as a Federal Deputy in Brazil's Congress and announced his intention to request political asylum in the United States on the basis of "persecution", and because he's afraid that, if he doesn't flee, his passport will be confiscated and he won't be allowed to leave.
Eduardo is, in my view, the most dangerous Bolsonaro, because he's the smartest Bolsonaro (not a high bar to overcome in that family, but still) and he has the most extensive international network, as a close associate of Steve Bannon, on friendly terms with Viktor Órban, and a frequent guest at CPAC.
Brazil's courts are still operating freely, they just turned down a request from the Public Prosecutor to take Eduardo's passport as having no probable cause, and he has legislative immunity, but I have no doubt that his asylum request will be received favorably and expedited, and that he'll never see the inside of a Salvadoran jail.