The UndocuBlack Network Denounces the Recent DACA Ruling and Calls for Permanent Protections for all Immigrants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Media Contact: Bethelhem T. Negash

                          bethelhem@undocublack.org

Washington D.C – Yesterday, Judge Hanen of the U.S District Court ruled  that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is “unlawful”. The UndocuBlack Network is unwavering in our mission to support the rights of Black  immigrants, especially in light of this recent DACA decision. While we are profoundly enraged and disappointed by the ruling from Judge Hanen, it sadly doesn’t come as a surprise. We have long stressed the need to provide permanent protections and a clear path to citizenship for all immigrants, including DACA recipients. This decision highlights the urgent need for immigration policies  that go beyond temporary solutions like DACA.

While this decision allows for current  recipients to continue renewing their DACA status, this half measure does not address the underlying issues that put the future of Black immigrants in jeopardy. Once again, we name the temporariness of programs  such as DACA, that are subject to legal and political uncertainties,  trap  our community members in  a perpetual state of legal limbo. Our people are tired of teetering between court decisions, administrative whims and program deadlines. The UndocuBlack Network strongly disagrees with this decision and is committed to defending our  DACA recipient community members .The UndocuBlack Network remains resilient in our commitment and determination to our mission in the face of disheartening challenges. We will keep fighting to protect and empower the 11 million undocumented immigrants and continue to work towards securing their rights and permanent protections.

Ronnie James, DACA Recipient , UndocuBlack Network’s Community Engagement Director , said: 

“While I am undoubtedly frustrated by Judge Hanen’s decision on DACA, I know that this is only a setback. Being a DACA recipient is to know that the program faces relentless attacks — attacks that feel harder to push back each time. However, my community is a source of support and hope for me. DACA’s inception owes much to the tireless efforts of immigrants, and our advocacy ensures its persistence today. Although the program has been transformative for recipients and their loved ones, it falls short of providing the enduring solution that all 11 million undocumented immigrants rightfully deserve.” 

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Florida's SB 1718: An Attack on Black Migrants That Fans the Flames of Discrimination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30,2023

Contact: Bethelhem Negash, bethelhem@undocublack.org 

Washington, DC - The UndocuBlack Network vehemently denounces the Florida Senate Bill 1718 (SB 1718), a regressive and racist bill Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law on May 10, 2023. This immigration bill which will go into effect on July 1, 2023, will have severe and detrimental consequences for an already marginalized community and poses a significant threat to the well-being and rights of Black immigrants in the State. 

The UndocuBlack Network opposes SB 1718 and its harmful implications that continues to entrench systemic barriers that disproportionately harm Black immigrants as the low-hanging fruit. In solidarity with all immigrant communities across Florida, we will continue to fight against all harmful policies and punitive measures that perpetuate cycles of exploitation, dehumanization, and criminalization of Black migrants and tear our communities apart. 

“SB 1718, signed into law by Governor Desantis, contains provisions that disproportionately affect Black immigrants, exacerbating existing disparities and perpetuating systemic injustice”, said Haddy Gassama, National Director of Policy and Advocacy. “The bill introduces restrictive measures that impede the ability of Black immigrants to access crucial resources and opportunities, hindering their integration into society and further marginalizing them. Most concerning to our community, the bill mandates greater collaboration between state and federal immigration enforcement agencies, leading to heightened scrutiny, profiling, and targeting of Black immigrants.”

“This law undermines due process rights by expanding the authority of state officials to question immigration status during routine interactions, such as traffic stops”, said Grace Njagi, Policy Analyst. “Among other harmful provisions, SB 1718 also perpetuates racial disparities in access to resources, exacerbating existing inequalities and impeding the community's ability to thrive by restricting access to critical social services, including healthcare, and education based on immigration status. This provision opens the door to racial profiling and discriminatory practices, leading to unjust targeting of Black immigrants.”

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The UndocuBlack Network Receives The Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award

The UndocuBlack Network has been recognized by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) with the prestigious 2023 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award, for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights. The UndocuBlack Network , a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black immigrants has dedicated its work and mission to empowering and uplifting Black undocumented immigrants by challenging marginalizing narratives around Black migration and advocating for policies that positively impact the UndocuBlack community and its wellness.

Founded in 2016, the UndocuBlack Network strives to secure truly inclusive immigrant rights and racial justice movements that advocate for the rights of Black undocumented individuals, provide healing spaces, and community to those with intersecting identities. In April 2023, UndocuBlack Network was the winner of the Frederick Douglass award.

UndocuBlack and AILA have partnered several times recently to provide essential educational resources and an informed perspective on the unjust circumstances surrounding immigration policy with regards to Black immigrant communities. UndocuBlack was featured in a recent AILA roundtable “Immigration is a Black Issue” facilitated by AILA former President Allen Orr in honor of Black History Month.

Further, UndocuBlack has taken a leadership role in national and international campaigns including the fight for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and the network has been instrumental in securing the largest form of legislative relief in over two decades to secure immigration relief for Liberians in 2019, aiding 10,000 Liberians to now have a more secure footing in their communities through the passage of the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act. The organization has worked closely with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on efforts to pass the Dream Act as well. Another major stand out program is UndocuBlack’s intentional development of a mental wellness program for its members to improve access to much needed health resources by the Black undocumented community who suffer from racist immigration policy and the trauma of fleeing violence and devastation in their home countries. Their work has directly resulted in positive change in the area of human rights.

Moreover, the UndocuBlack Network has spearheaded multiple campaigns to secure Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. 

The UndocuBlack is a part of numerous  initiatives to create and hold space for its membership and with the Black immigrant community at large.  The network has been actively creating community spaces that are open to members to have discourse on their collective Black immigrant experiences, community training to help arm constituents with important information and tools to launch community kickbacks and programs that offer an opportunity to rest and interact with others that understand the ‘undocublack’ story.

The Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award, named after Arthur Helton –  lawyer, refugee advocate, teacher and author – has been established and presented annually since 1983 and was renamed 2003. The award has been presented In recognition of outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

The UndocuBlack Network has also been recognized by the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG).

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Eleven Years of DACA: A Journey of Legal Limbos and a Reminder of the Urgency for Permanent Protection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 15, 2023

Washington D.C. – On the 11th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the UndocuBlack Network marks the day by renewing its call for permanent protections for immigrant youth, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and all undocumented immigrant communities.  As we reflect on the impact of the program over the past eleven years, we emphasize the temporariness of DACA as a solution, subject to legal and political uncertainties trapping our communities in a perpetual state of legal limbo, teetering between court decisions, administrative whims and program deadlines. The clock is ticking on DACA and the time to deliver green cards and a pathway to citizenship for all immigrant communities is now.

The UndocuBlack Network remains undeterred in the fight to defend DACA while emphatically demanding that the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress deliver a legislative pathway to green cards and citizenship. An update of the immigration  registry would offer relief to millions of immigrants including DACA recipients and TPS holders, rather than creating a patchwork of temporary provisions with impending deadlines. Our communities deserve stability and security that only permanent protections can offer. 

Ronnie James, UndocuBlack Network’s National Community Engagement Director said,  “ DACA has 11 years of data that demonstrates its value as a temporary status and the consequences of depriving recipients a sustainable living status. To gut the program any further would be sheer absurdity. The immigrant community has and will continue advocating for what we deserve. We demand fair pathways to citizenship, embracing all migrants, and recognizing migration as a human right. Congress must act now, and the natural next step is delivering green cards and a pathway to citizenship” 

DACA recipients and more than 11 million undocumented individuals, many of whom are Black, are forced to live in constant uncertainty as the future of DACA hangs in the balance, TPS designations are few and far in between and movement on legislation is stagnant. The Biden administration’s inaction on these matters and the constant and unapologetic detention and deportation of Black immigrants seals its legacy of anti-Blackness. Time and again we have been sounding the alarm that no solution short of access to permanent protections will address the needs of the DACA recipients and all undocumented immigrants. Our communities deserve more than mere existence within the confines of litigation outcomes.

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Biden Replaces Title 42 with Historic Asylum Ban slated to send Black and Brown Migrants Back to Persecution and Potential Death

The Biden administration continues to place the lives of Black asylum seekers in danger for political fodder

Washington, DC –Today, following three years of advocacy and legal battles that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, the white supremacist and Trump-era policy known as Title 42 finally came to an end. The policy, which allowed for the rapid expulsion of more than 2 million asylum seekers, was introduced in March 2020, disguised as a public health measure and  response to Covid-19.  From its inception, UndocuBlack and partner organizations sounded the alarm on illegality and immorality of Title 42. We named that the policy was never motivated by a concern for public health, but rather a political play to continue to keep Black and Brown asylum seekers out of the country. As evidenced by the over 200 deportation flights sent to Haiti, this deadly policy was successful in its intent, with a disproportionate impact on Black migrants. The Biden administration’s long-overdue termination of the policy is a step towards U.S. compliance with domestic and international laws. Yet, the UndocuBlack Network remains deeply disturbed with the Administration's choice to replace Title 42 with its own inhumane deterrence policies. The policies announced by the Biden-Harris administration, mimic both the cruel intent and consequences of Title 42, by: 

• Perpetuating the disproportionate  harm on Black asylum seekers

• Violating the United States international and domestic legal obligation provide those fleeing persecution and danger the right to seek asylum

• Violating the rights of asylum seekers by rapidly detaining or deporting them back to dangerous conditions or imminent death

“The end of Title 42 is a baseline step to reinstating a fair and effective asylum system. It should not have taken more than a year to convince the Administration to end this policy.   Today marks a return to the  legal and moral obligation to protect people fleeing persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Nevertheless, we cannot celebrate as the Biden-Harris administration creates more barriers to seeking asylum, all of which will further disproportionately impact Black migrants,” said Haddy Gassama, National Director of Policy and Advocacy. “In addition to the Department of Homeland Security sending 1,500 additional military personnel from the Department of Defense to  the Southern Border, the administration has noted their plans to officially implement the deadly asylum ban despite thousands of opposition comments. The administration seeks to further deter migrants from seeking asylum by creating processing centers in countries that have systematically dehumanized Black immigrants and denied them basic necessities such as physical safety and healthcare. Despite the Administration's purported goals and now failed campaign promises to build an equitable immigration system that welcomes all, we continue to see the expansion of these harmful and anti-Black policies. UndocuBlack will continue to fight against such policies while calling for the establishment of a truly equitable asylum system that protects and treats Black migrants with dignity.”  

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UndocuBlack Network Receives The Frederick Douglass Award

For Immediate Release

April 17, 2023

Washington D.C.-- The UndocuBlack Network has been nominated by the North Star Fund for the prestigious Frederick Douglass Award, an annual honor that recognizes outstanding grassroots groups whose organizing and activism have led to significant victories on the front lines of social justice and protecting civil liberties. The UndocuBlack Network , a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black immigrants has dedicated its work and mission to empowering and uplifting Black undocumented immigrants by challenging marginalizing narratives around Black migration and advocating for policies that positively impact the UndocuBlack community and its wellness.

Since its inception in 2016, the network has been instrumental in securing the largest form of legislative relief in over two decades to secure immigration relief for Liberians in 2019, aiding 10,000 Liberians to now have a more secure footing in their communities. Moreover, the UndocuBlack Network has spearheaded multiple campaigns to secure Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The network has also been recognized by the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG).

The UndocuBlack is a part of numerous  initiatives to create and hold space for its membership and with the Black immigrant community at large.  The network has been actively creating community spaces that are open to members to have discourse on their collective Black immigrant experiences, community training to help arm constituents with important information and tools to launch community kickbacks and programs that offer an opportunity to rest and interact with others that understand the ‘undocublack’ story.

Patrice Lawrence, UndocuBlack Network Executive Director said, “I want to thank the North Star Fund for this honor. This award recognizes the collective efforts of the UndocuBlack team, our members, and also our community of allies and partners. Collectively, we work tirelessly to advance equity for Black immigrants. UndocuBlack accepts this honor on behalf of all overlooked and marginalized Black undocumented immigrants in immigration spaces. This recognition reminds us that our fight against harmful, unjust immigration policies rooted in systematic racism is not in vain. We will continue to push for our community's rights and demands until we achieve true equity at local, state, and national levels. In fact, Frederick Douglass himself often spoke about the right to migration. He said: ‘There are such things in the world as human rights. They rest upon no conventional foundation, but are external, universal, and indestructible. Among these, is the right of locomotion; the right of migration; the right which belongs to no particular race, but belongs alike to all and to all alike.’”

The Frederick Douglass Award, named after the renowned abolitionist and social reformer, has been presented annually since 1984 to individuals and grassroots organizations that embody his legacy of activism and advocacy. Past recipients of the award include CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, and more.  The UndocuBlack Network will accept the award at the North Star Fund Gala in New York, which will take place this Tuesday evening. The event will feature keynote speeches, as well as remarks from winners of the award. 

 For more information about the Frederick Douglass Award and the UndocuBlack Network, please visit here and here respectively. 

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The UndocuBlack Network Submits Public Comment Against the Biden Administration’s Proposed Asylum Ban Rule

Daniel Delgado,

Acting Director, Border and Immigration Policy 

Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans 

Department of Homeland Security

Lauren Alder Reid,

Assistant Director Office of Policy

Executive Office for Immigration Review 

Department of Justice

March 27, 2023

Submitted via: https://www.regulations.gov 

RE: Public comment on notice of proposed rulemaking on Circumvention of Lawful Pathways - RIN 1615-AC83 / USCIS Docket No. 2022-0016; RIN 1615-AC83 / A.G. Order No. 5605-2023

Dear Acting Director Delgado and Assistant Director Alder Reid, 

The UndocuBlack Network submits this comment  in response to the Administration's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Circumvention of Lawful Pathways  (NPRM or proposed rule) published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Federal Register on February 23, 2023, to share our strong opposition.  The proposed rule effectively bans asylum for most Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ migrants at the Southern border. 

 The UndocuBlack Network is dedicated to advocating for the rights of all Black migrants. We believe that Black people have the right to not only survive but to live full lives and thrive. The right to seek asylum in the U.S. and live in a place that is safe, without the fear of deportation, should be a baseline provision of U.S. immigration policy. As such we are deeply concerned and have objections to the proposed rule. The NPRM is not only immoral, but illegal, and if implemented would violate U.S. domestic law as well as international conventions that the U.S. is a party to. 

The Proposed Rule is Anti-Black

If implemented, this rule disproportionately denies Black migrants their right to asylum and protection in the United States while sealing the Biden administration's legacy of anti-Blackness. Many of these asylum seekers are fleeing imminent danger, persecution, violence, and death in their home countries. Migrants from majority Black countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean often make the harrowing journey to the U.S. Southern Border on foot. Due to visa interview backlogs, and high visa denial rates, people fleeing harm have no option but to flee their countries and traverse South and Central America to seek asylum in the U.S. This rule will have a disparate impact on vulnerable populations.

The inhumane treatment of Black migrants both in the interior of the U.S. and at the Southern border is well documented in multiple reports. In the current immigration enforcement system, Black immigrants are detained and deported at higher rates than their non-black counterparts. This proposed asylum ban only perpetuates the systemic harms of the U.S. immigration system with a pointed impact on Black asylum seekers who do not have the ability to arrive in the U.S. by plane.

If the proposed rule is implemented, it will likely employ the use of the CBP One app or a similar application. Current reports about CBP One indicate that the application is not intuitive or user-friendly. This new version of the previous Administration’s metering program provides limited appointment slots for asylum seekers. Additionally, the app does not come in the majority of languages spoken by Black immigrants. The app's failure to recognize darker-complected skin tones during the photo verification requirement provides more challenges for Black asylum seekers. Relying on CBP One as the only mechanism to seek asylum at the Southern border harms already disadvantaged Black migrants who do not have the luxury or resources to indefinitely wait in Mexico while attempting to schedule appointments. The purported exception for people who face technical difficulties accessing CBP One appointments are weak and exceptions only in name. By Placing the burden of proof on the asylum seekers who often have no access to legal counsel, without any guidance from the government, the rule once again sets migrants up for failure. 

Conclusion 

The lives of Black migrants have always been low-hanging fruit; ripe for the cruelty of the U.S. immigration system. Throughout their journey to seek refuge and safety in the United States, Black immigrants face anti-Blackness and discrimination. The salient nature of Anti-Blackness in Latin America, compounded with the lack of functional asylum systems in the countries that lead to the U.S. makes seeking protection anywhere but the U.S. nearly impossible. The Biden administration knows this, yet chooses to place the lives of asylum seekers in danger for political fodder. The UndocuBlack Network condemns this asylum ban and all policies aimed at blocking Black migrants’ international human right to seek safety in the United States.

Sincerely, 

The UndocuBlack Network 

The Biden Administration Seals Legacy of Anti-Blackness With Proposed Asylum Ban

February 22, 2023

Contact : Bethelhem T. Negash 

                 bethelhem@undocublack.org 

(Washington DC) – Yesterday, the Biden administration proposed banning asylum seekers from the United States if they did not first seek protection in countries they traveled through during their journey to the U.S. This proposed ban on asylum at the border, comes just days after President Biden spoke about the importance of welcoming refugees and asylum seekers during a surprise visit to Ukraine and Poland. The Biden administration’s blatant attack on the rights of non-white asylum seekers does not come as a surprise. Despite campaign promises of prioritizing racial equity, the Administration has followed, and in some ways surpassed the course of its predecessor, when it comes to immigration policies that disproportionately harm Black migrants.  A previous version of Biden's ban was proposed by the Trump administration and subsequently struck down by a federal court. The UndocuBlack Network condemns this asylum ban and all policies aimed at blocking the ability of  Black migrants to access their international human right to seek safety in the United States. 

Haddy Gassama, Policy and Advocacy Director of the UndocuBlack Network said  “ The Biden administration's proposed asylum ban, confirms what many Black immigrant organizations have highlighted in the last few years. Immigration is a Black issue and Biden’s actions have shown that in spite of his campaign promises of an administration that would prioritize racial equity, he does not care about Black immigrants. The hypocrisy of yesterday’s announcement coming within days of  Biden applauding international efforts to welcome Ukrainian migrants fleeing danger is not lost on us. This Administration opened Black History Month with the deportation of Haitian migrants and they are closing out the month by doubling down on Trump's failed asylum ban efforts. For Black immigrant communities, there has been little to no distinction between the Trump and the Biden administration. New administration, same anti-Blackness.”