Human rights organizations in the United States are calling on President Joe Biden to immediately adopt measures to protect undocumented immigrants, many of whom have resided in the country for years, denouncing the marginalization of many of these communities because of their immigration status and racial identity.
“Hundreds of thousands of these long-time undocumented immigrants, including those of African and Caribbean descent, have been deported from the United States. The nation has a moral imperative to protect these communities because immigration is one of the central civil rights issues of our time,” the organizations wrote in a letter to the U.S. chief executive on May 26, 2023.
Immigrants’ contribution highlighted
The signatories point out that the African and Caribbean diasporas make a unique contribution to American society, to the economy of the world’s leading power and to local communities in the United States. They are part of the workforce that will fuel the modernization of the country’s infrastructure and efforts to combat climate change.
These diaspora organizations also point out that “immigration protections help stabilize communities, especially those facing inequalities due to racial identity in the various structures of our society.” They note that “the lack of legal immigration status harmed many communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic, who were unable to obtain public assistance or, worse, were afraid to access these vital resources, even if they or family members were eligible.”
Legal immigration status, temporary or otherwise, could have encouraged many of these historically marginalized communities to come forward and ask for the help they needed during the pandemic, they argued.
The black community victim of the injustices of the immigration system
According to the signatories of the correspondence to Democratic President Joe Biden, research shows that black immigrants and their families are worse off in the U.S. immigration system, in part because of the unacceptable phenomenon of over-policing of black communities in America.
Although black immigrants represent less than 9% of the undocumented population in the United States, they make up twenty percent of immigrants facing deportation for criminal reasons, they noted, citing the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and the NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic.
Also citing the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the further point out that “black immigrants are nearly three times more likely to be detained and deported due to an alleged criminal offense” and that in 2019, the longest documented ICE detentions took place in immigration investigation, the longest documented ICE detentions were imposed on black African immigrants.
These findings represent just a few of the immigration system’s injustices to the black community – which have only increased with the cruel changes enacted by the Trump administration, including the travel ban, which has virtually blocked immigration from several African countries; the family separation policy; and attempts to end illegal immigration, family separation policy; and attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries, including Haiti, the correspondence reads.
The signatories assert that it is morally imperative that we reform our immigration system and overcome the mistakes of the past, especially since the black immigrant population represents one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in the United States.
“Today, there are over 600,000 undocumented black immigrants in the United States, many of whom are long-term residents with strong family and community ties. Due to Congress’ lack of action on immigration reform, undocumented black immigrants face uncertainty about their future in the United States.” They therefore urge the administration to take all possible executive and administrative measures to help establish a fairer and more equitable immigration system.
These organizations believe that all the solutions proposed in the report entitled 2023 Immigration Priorities: A Blueprint for the Biden-Harris Administration, should be put on the table as the administration develops a series of solutions focused on affirmative action. In particular, she cites the designation and re-designation of TPS for Haitian nationals who cannot return to their country of origin due to armed conflict, natural disaster or other urgent humanitarian reasons, including nationals from Sudan, South Sudan, Cameroon and other African countries, as well as Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, as soon as possible…; protections for DACA beneficiaries with all necessary tools; and the reduction of lengthy backlogs and other related actions.
Haitian Bridge Alliance, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc, National Urban League, Southern Poverty Law Center, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights are signatories to this correspondence. They call on the Democratic president to give immediate attention to these issues this year, and say they are ready to work together to develop a plan to protect vulnerable immigrant groups.