For the past several years, a patchwork of policies have illegally restricted people fleeing persecution from seeking safety at the U.S.-Mexico border. The ACLU recently won a critical lawsuit when a federal judge ordered an end to Title 42, one of the most restrictive policies, but multiple states and members of Congress are trying to keep the policy in place. At the same time, the federal government is reportedly considering resuscitating other inhumane Trump-era policies that would continue restricting access to asylum, rather than focusing on real solutions to a more fair and efficient immigration system.

As we gather together with loved ones this holiday season, and as the U.S.-Mexico border continues to make headlines, this topic may come up in conversations. To restore humanity to U.S. asylum policy, we need to center human dignity, truth, and justice in our conversations. This guide will help you do just that.

For those who aren’t already interested in these issues, our laws might seem abstract or arcane. One of the best ways to understand and convey their importance is by sharing the stories of people who are fighting for their right to seek asylum and are directly impacted by the policies that make headlines.

• The right to seek asylum — or safety from persecution — in another country was born out of the tragedies of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. In its aftermath, dozens of nations committed to never again slam the door on people in need of protection. The right to asylum was enshrined in 1948’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then again in the Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol.
• The United States is a party to the Refugee Protocol and passed the Refugee Act of 1980 to comply with its international obligations. The Act protects people who are fleeing persecution on “account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
• The Refugee Act is meant to ensure that people who seek asylum from within the U.S. or at its border are not sent back to places where they face persecution.
• These protections are just as critical today. More people have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict, violence, and human rights violations in recent years than at any other time since World War II.

All people fleeing persecution are allowed to seek asylum under our laws. Period.

The policies discussed in this guide present a serious threat to the future of asylum rights, but we’ll continue to fight back through our ongoing litigation, in the halls of Congress, and through public education. And we’re not stopping there. We’re fighting for a fundamentally more humane and welcoming system at the border for people seeking asylum — and you can, too.

Here are four ways you can join the fight to protect the right to seek asylum no matter where you live.

1. Use this guide to speak to your friends and family and educate them on the importance of protecting asylum rights.
2. Share why you support welcoming people with humanity and dignity on Soapbox and tag your members of Congress.
3. Send a message to Congress telling them not to extend Title 42.
4. Visit the ACLU Border Humanity Project — a campaign to fight for humane border policies — for other ways to get involved.