Instead of courageously meeting the growing humanitarian needs of asylum seekers with humane, sustainable proposals at the border, this administration continues to push forward cruel, punitive proposals and succumb to false right-wing narratives around migrants and security at the border. The stark contrast between Biden-Harris’ campaign commitments to immigrants and the reality of the policies they are implementing became crystal clear in the weeks approaching the lifting of Title 42.
“We remember when the Biden-Harris administration campaigned on their commitment of racial equity, to honor and protect Black lives, and to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. But the reality is that U.S. officials have continuously shut the door on Black and Brown asylum seekers and ignore the hardships of children, families, and adults seeking refuge,” said Carolyn Tran, Co-Director of Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP).
The administration’s latest policies continue state-sanctioned discrimination and constitute an attack on all migrants at the border. The deployment of 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and the agreement for Mexico to accept Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan asylum seekers forcibly returned after May 11th will unequivocally place imperil on the lives of Black migrants. These policies target Black migrants who are disproportionately harmed by enforcement, detention and anti-Blackness in Latin America. This administration was elected by a multiracial coalition of voters, but the very party we elected to represent and defend us are passing racist policies.
As House Republicans prepare to vote on H.R. 2, a package of extremist, white supremacist policies and Biden ramps up his reelection campaign, we see that increasingly both parties are two sides of the same coin when it comes to immigration. This moment is an opportunity for Democrats to act courageously and boldly against xenophobic, white supremacist policies by utilizing programs that will truly uplift our communities like temporary protected status (TPS), parole, issuing work permits, and investing in resources for shelter and support while migrants navigate their immigration cases. The Biden administration’s TPS administrations demonstrate the potential for Democrats to expansively uplift our communities.
As TPS holders, our fight for protections is interlinked with all immigrants seeking safety and dignity in this country. United States foreign policy and contributions to climate change have created political instability, unfathomable violence and dire living conditions forcing us to leave our homes. United States’ laws and international treaty obligations require us to protect people fleeing persecution and not return them to danger. Our organizations are in solidarity with immigrant communities and asylum seekers, and urge the Biden administration to abandon policies that imperil their dignity, livelihoods, and human rights.
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Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) is a collaborative of grassroots immigrant community organizations working together to win permanent status for our members and communities, and build a more inclusive immigrant rights movement that centers the needs and experiences of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, and API immigrants.
The UndocuBlack Network (UBN), founded in 2016, is a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources and contributes to transforming the realities of our people so we are thriving and living our fullest lives. UBN has chapters in New York City, the DC/MD/VA area, and Los Angeles, CA.
Adhikaar (Nepali: rights) is a New York-based non-profit, organizing the Nepali-speaking community to promote human rights and social justice for all. We are a women-led workers’ center and community center focused on workers’ rights, immigration rights, access to affordable healthcare and language justice. We organize the Nepali-speaking community to create broader social change; build coalitions on advocacy campaigns that address our community’s needs; center women and the most impacted communities in our leadership; engage members in participatory action research; and implement community education, workplace development training, and support services.
African Communities Together (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We connect African immigrants to critical services, help Africans develop as leaders, and organize our communities on the issues that matter.
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides bond support and humanitarian, legal, and other social services, with a particular focus on Black immigrants, the Haitian community, women, LGBTQAI+ individuals and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. Since 2015, HBA has provided services to asylum seekers and other migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, in U.S. detention, and during U.S. immigration proceedings.
National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) is a national consortium of independent Arab American community-based organizations. The Network’s primary mission is to build the capacity of Arab American non-profit organizations that focus on the needs and issues impacting their local community while collectively addressing those issues nationally.