FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4th, 2022
CONTACT: Bethelhem T. Negash, bethelhem@undocublack.org
Washington DC- The swift and much-needed designation of TPS for Ukraine shows that this act of compassion can be done without months, or years, of delay. Within 8 days of the conflict, the White House, Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security were able to assess the country conditions of Ukraine, weigh them against the legal standards for TPS, and make the decision to designate the country so that Ukrainian nationals would not be inevitably deported back to dangerous conditions. If this decision can be made in 8 days for Ukraine, it can be replicated for Cameroon, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Palestine, and other countries with ongoing armed conflicts and other dangerous conditions that deem them unsafe to deport anyone back to.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has shown a clear pattern of anti-Blackness and racism throughout its immigration policy and enforcement decisions. ”
This week’s designation of TPS for Sudan and redesignation of TPS for South Sudan, while warranted and necessary, was a baseline step towards equitable designations of TPS. The Biden Administration's failure to act on majority-Black countries that immigrant rights organizations have been advocating for for years is a glaring indication of whose safety and wellbeing this administration sees as a priority. Moreover, their silence on the worsening conditions in Lebanon and the continued immiseration of Palestine contradicts their stated intention to redress the anti-Arab racism of previous administrations.
The stalled designation of TPS for Cameroon and other majority Black countries, the 200+ Title 42 expulsion flights to Haiti, and the abuse of Black asylum seekers at the hands of CBP officers at Del Rio last year has already solidified the Biden Administration's legacy of cruelty against Black immigrants. Designating Ukraine for TPS in 8 days while past designations have taken years-long campaigns to garner even the smallest amount of attention and awareness while new designations for majority-Black countries have been few and far between in recent years will sadly become a standard-bearing moment in the worst of ways for this country. These patterns show the structural racism that exists at all levels of the US immigration and asylum system. They must be rooted out immediately to ensure equal protection and equal justice under the law for all those seeking refuge and safety, regardless of their racial makeup, ethnicity, or national origin.
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About Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) and its anchor organizations:
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.
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 based in Southern California that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and connects migrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, 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.
