FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES—As the humanitarian emergency in Haiti becomes increasingly dire, President Biden must use all available tools to support asylum seekers. Below is a statement by Vanessa Rivas-Bernardy, Counsel at Justice Action Center:
“The United States’ long and shameful history of demonizing and discriminating against Haitian asylum seekers has contributed to the country’s current humanitarian crisis. President Biden and his administration must use the several tools at their disposal to alleviate, rather than exacerbate, the suffering of Haitians fighting for their lives.
“These actions include expanding Haitian humanitarian parole and expediting applications, extending and redesignating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the U.S., halting removal flights back to life-threatening danger, and abandoning any plans for detaining Haitians at Guantánamo Bay.
“The administration has ignored the Haitian community’s demands for justice and accountability for its abuse and expulsion of thousands of asylum seekers in Del Rio, Texas in 2021. President Biden has the choice of defining his legacy. He can uphold the status quo and choose to be remembered for these anti-black human rights violations, or for changing course to uphold the dignity and humanity of Haitians.”
Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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