On Monday, Attorney General William Barr announced that fear of persecution and terror against one's family is no longer a basis to seek asylum in the United States. Essentially, this administration has announced to people worldwide, "If your family is in danger, don't come to the United States."

This is a horrendous betrayal. For generations, people around the world have looked to our shores for safety when they have nowhere else to turn. And our nation is better for it: the commitment to human rights shows the strength of our spirit, and the resulting diversity enriches and strengthens our culture.

Now, under Trump and Barr, refugees are being stranded at our borders, told to turn back, sometimes jailed, separated from their loved ones, treated like criminals because they're running from criminals.

The immigration crisis at our border is one of the most egregious failures of leadership I have ever seen. It's deeply cruel and fundamentally racist.

When our own president is attacking our core values, it's our duty not just to defend our nation's core values, but to advance them. Our movement has been stepping up to support a group of organizations that are fighting on the front lines every day to provide legal and humanitarian aid to refugees at our border.