Fam,
Earlier this month, Biden took his first trip to the U.S.–-Mexico border as president and announced the expansion of a terrible Trump-era immigration policy, Title 42. The Biden administration has deported more than two million people under this policy. This is part of a long history of racist immigration policies in the U.S., with the criminalization of poverty and stereotyping of drug use playing a role once again—especially against migrants from majority non-white countries.
Biden’s plan denies migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti the right to apply for asylum if they cross the border without authorization, and will force them to return to Mexico. Approximately 40,000 migrants have been returned to Haiti amid humanitarian crises, cholera, and violence.
In comparison, the Biden administration welcomed 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression and war-making. Ukrainians in the U.S. received Temporary Protected Status, which means they would not be deported, even if they stayed longer than initially allowed.
Existing policies clearly demonstrate a double standard that favors migrants from predominantly white European countries over Black and brown migrants from the global South. Black migrants contend with anti-Blackness in the criminal legal system, as well as the legal-status stigma that all immigrants face while navigating this country’s broken immigration and asylum system. Additionally, Black people in the U.S. are more likely to be stopped, arrested, and incarcerated, making Black immigrants disproportionately vulnerable to the prison-to-deportation pipeline. We’ve laid out the critical policy changes that are needed at the local, state, and federal levels to change these harmful systems.
We believe that all migrants fleeing harm and persecution should have a fair and just asylum system to navigate, and a criminal legal system that doesn’t target them on the basis of their skin color.
In Solidarity,
Movement for Black Lives
***
You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project
Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: iStock