Haitian Asylum Seekers
As of Friday 9/24, the migrant camp under Del Rio bridge has been cleared ─ but the conversation around anti-Black immigration to the US has just begun. The inhumane and cruel attacks on Haitian asylum seekers on the US-Mexico border were heart-wrenching to witness ─ sadly illuminating a long history of violent detention and deportation by the United States. ABFE stands in solidarity with Black migrants who are typically left out of the immigration debate and commits to advocating on their behalf within the philanthropic sector.
We condemn the ongoing abusive treatment of the Haitian people and demand a dignified path forward for the thousands of Black immigrants seeking asylum. Mounted border patrol agents aggressively corralling people like cattle or runaway slaves was on public display for the world to see. We are equally concerned with what we are not seeing in mainstream media. Where are the thousands of Haitians now? What are their living conditions? Are they being treated with dignity and respect? There are reports that some are being held in detention centers and prisons, waiting to hear if they will be granted asylum or be deported. Those that have already been deported to Haiti have been dumped into a country overrun by strife and instability.
The Biden administration continues to enforce the Title 42 clause of the 1944 Public Health Services law invoked by Trump in March 2020. This dangerous and callous law allows for the rapid expulsion of nearly anyone trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico or Canada. Critics submit that today’s use of Title 42 is a misapplication of the law and is driven by immigration fears, not public-health worries. The Biden administration is currently fighting in court to continue its use.
Both Democrats and Republicans have continued to wage wars and implement sanctions and destructive economic policies that have been the direct cause of migration and those seeking asylum throughout the world. Globally, the US-Mexico border is one of the most militarized borders with $55 billion in contracts awarded to private industry by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) since 2008.
Many in this country were encouraged when the Biden administration signed an executive order on advancing racial equity in his first days in office.[1] It states, “ it is therefore the policy of my Administration that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality”. This does not appear to be the case in the area of immigration policy; anti-Black racism is alive and well – one just needs to compare the treatment of Haitians at the border with that of Afghan refugees who have recently arrived in this country.
How Philanthropy Can Respond
Thousands more will make arduous treks to the U.S. border. Immediate strategies to address real-time humanitarian crises as well as long-term solutions for welcoming asylum seekers into U.S. society are needed.
- Disinvestment – Foundations can look internally to see where their investments lie. There is a growing disinvestment movement – similar to the South African Apartheid disinvestment – focused on the Immigration Industrial complex. Similarly, the current Prison Industrial Complex disinvestment movement is focusing on immigration camps and detention centers.[i]
- Invest in the Caribbean – If we care about Black lives in the US, we must care about Black lives in the Caribbean including Haiti. Why? The majority of Black immigrants in the U.S. migrate from this region and these families retain strong economic ties to one another. We urge international funders to focus on the issues and development of the Caribbean.
- Support Organizations focused on Black immigrants (from the Caribbean, Africa, Afro-Latinos from South American countries) – The focus has been on Latinx migrants which means many of the services provided for migrants and asylum seekers are Spanish-language based.
ABFE recommends supporting the following organization:
[1]https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/
[i] https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster/southern-border-humanitarian-crisis/