ABOVE: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, photo via Klobuchar’s Facebook page.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is leading a group of 13 Senate Democrats in calling on the Biden administration to answer questions about its commitment to LGBTQ people overseas seeking asylum in the United States.
In a letter dated Aug. 2 and made public Aug. 6, Klobuchar and others cite a statistic an estimated 11,400 applications for asylum were filed in the United States on the basis of LGBTQ status from 2012 to 2017.
“The United States has been a beacon of hope for many LGBTQ migrants escaping persecution, including domestic violence, rape, and murder, as well as discrimination in areas like education, employment, housing, and healthcare,” the letter says.
Following up on the State Department’s announcement in February it would “use a broad range of diplomatic and programmatic tools and resources to protect vulnerable LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers,” the senators seek more information on efforts to “protect and promote the rights of LGBTQ asylum seekers.”
The letter, addressed to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, poses to the State Department two specific questions on LGBTQ asylum seekers, as well as the global strategy for international LGBTQ human rights:
- What are the Department’s plans for restoring our former commitments to LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers and expediting resettlement for the most at-risk LGBTQ refugees globally?
- What progress has been made in the Department’s global strategy to address discrimination against the LGBTQ community and to integrate LGBTQ concerns into U.S. foreign policy? In what ways can Congress assist in these efforts, including and beyond the Global Equality Fund (GEF)?
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the letter, citing a policy of no comment on correspondence between members of Congress and the department.
The 13 Democrats who signed the letter are Klobuchar as well as Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Cory Booker (N.J.) Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Richard Durbin (Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Bernard Sanders (Vt.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Edward Markey (Mass.) and Patty Murray (Wash.).
