Migrant Justice Newsletter - September 2023

Migrant Justice Newsletter and Urgent Actions – SEP 2023

You can read this monthly newsletter at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/blog.

Introduction

A recent report by the International Organization for Migration calls the US-Mexico border the “deadliest” in the world. But despite the emotional and economic cost, the harsh terrain, and the dangerous crossings (Darién Gap, border walls, Rio Grande River), migrants still come. Until root causes of migration are seriously addressed, they will come. As numbers of migrants rise, so do the number of removal flights operated by the US. In August, removal flights were up 50% from July, with 73% of them to the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. There were 52 flights to Guatemala, and 51 to Honduras , the highest number on record for that country. 

For those with a vulnerable legal status residing in the US, nothing has improved. TPS expirations for some nationalities were extended, but that only covers 600,000+ migrants from 16 nations.DACA was just ruled unconstitutional (again) by a federal judge (again).  We can expect that one to go to the Supreme Court.

In the absence of any meaningful immigration reform, everything being offered by the Biden Administration and Congress is piecemeal. See the Take Action items listed at the bottom to show your support for addressing the root causes of migration, cutting “alternatives to detention” surveillance programs, and ending family detention.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting IRTF’s Migrant Justice work.

Click HERE to donate. Thank you.

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Welcome to IRTF’s September 2023 newsletter on Migrant Justice and the current situation at the US-Mexico border! After you’ve looked through the articles, we hope you can take a few minutes to see the TAKE ACTION items at the bottom.

In this newsletter, please read about 

1.    Immigration Court in Cleveland, OH

2.    ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends

3.   Increase in Migrant Presence at the US-Mexico Border

4.   US-Mexico Border: “deadliest land route for migrants worldwide” 

5. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) updates 

6.  At the Border: Recent Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border 

TAKE ACTION NOW

Here is what you can do to take action this week and act in solidarity with migrants and their families. (See details at the bottom of this newsletter.)

A) Request for Reuniting Families Act

B) Home Is Here: Support DACA 

C) Defund Hate

D) Stop New Forms of Family Detention

E)  Root Causes of Migration:  Sanctions hurt people!

F) Root Causes of Migration: Stop the Gun Running to Haiti

G) Root Causes of Migration: Stop the persecution of Afro-Indigenous Hondurans!

1- Immigration Court in Cleveland, OH

Deportations proceedings filed - Cleveland EOIR

In August, Maryland overtook Ohio in new deportation proceedings filed, putting Ohio in 15th place (out of 31 states that have immigration courts).

In August 2023 the number of new cases filed in the month kept rising. While the United States immigration courts filed 148,133 new cases in July, this number was 30,801 more in August, when the courts filed 178,934 new cases. This rise in new proceedings has not only exceeded May and June, but also is one of the highest this fiscal year. With the new cases filed, the United States has now filed 1,231,627 deportation proceedings this fiscal year.

In the Cleveland EOIR (the only immigration court in Ohio), the numbers of new deportations filed were significantly lower than in July.  In August, 1,787 new cases were filed, less than half of the cases filed in July (3,298). These additional new cases bring the total number of deportation proceedings filed in Cleveland up to 21,941 this fiscal year. In the national rankings, Ohio, with its single immigration court, ranks #15, one rank lower than in July, but still in the upper half of the 31 states with migration courts. In Cleveland, Venezuela and Mauritania are keeping their number one and number two spots in new deportation proceedings filed. Haiti now is on the number three spot. Number four and five now are taken by Mexico and Guatemala, pushing Colombia out of the top five on to number six.

In the Cleveland EOIR as of AUGUST 2023, these are the top 5 nationalities this fiscal year:

1- Venezuela (2,512)

2- Mauritania (2,337) 

3- Haiti (2,042)

4- Mexico (2,024)

5- Guatemala (1,734)

Nationally, Venezuelans, Mexicans, and Colombians still top the list.

New Deportation proceedings filed at the Cleveland EOIR:

April: 2,261 new deportation proceedings filed

May: 3,489 new deportation proceedings filed

June: 2,540 new deportation proceedings filed

July: 3,298 new deportation proceedings filed  

August: 1,787 new deportation proceedings filed

Brazil: 28,771 nationally; 620 Ohio

Ecuador: 57,580 nationally; 304 Ohio

Mauritania: 13,065 nationally; 2,337 Ohio

Uzbekistan: 10,614 nationally; 1,229 Ohio 

Deportations Ordered - Cleveland EOIR -

Outcome Removals: (please see the chart below)

Nationwide: The total number of deportations ordered this fiscal year is now 215,363.

June: 20,088 deportations ordered nationwide; 511 in Cleveland, OH

July: 18,757 deportations ordered nationwide; 470 in Cleveland, OH

August: 24,205 deportations ordered nationwide; (data for Cleveland is pending)

In Ohio, the total number of deportations ordered this fiscal year is now 3,952.

Immigration Court - All Outcomes - include deportations ordered

MINORS GIVEN DEPORTATION ORDERS

In August  the Juvenile Court Docket in Cleveland ordered 12 new deportations against minors, one less than in July, and the least since the beginning of the fiscal year in October 2022. Over the course of the fiscal year, the Cleveland Juvenile Court has now ordered 279 deportations. Most orders affected Guatemalans with 7 new deportations ordered, one less than last month. This brings the total up to 155 deportations ordered. Hondurans keep the number 2 spot with 95 orders, two ordered in August. In addition, two deportations were ordered against Salvadoran minors, bringing the number up to 12. In August the Cleveland immigration court ordered one further deportation against a Mexican minor, bringing it up to 5. There were no further deportations ordered against Nicaraguan and Chilean minors, which stayed at 9 Nicaraguans and 1 Chilean.

MINORS ordered deported from Cleveland EOIR (juvenile docket) in recent months:

Ordered deported in August 2023:

12 total

7 Guatemalan minors

2 Honduran minors

2 Salvadoran minors

0 Nicaraguan minor

1 Mexican minors 

0 Chilean minors 

Current fiscal year - minors ordered deported from Cleveland (since OCT 2022)

All: 279

Guatemala:155

Honduras: 97 

El Salvador: 12 

Nicaragua: 9 

Mexico: 5

Chile: 1

MINORS ordered deported from Cleveland EOIR (juvenile docket) each month of FY 2023:

30: OCT 2022

27: NOV 2022 

37: DEC 2022 

27: JAN 2023 

47: FEB - MAR 2023

38: APR 2023 

31: MAY 2023

17: JUN 2023

13: JUL 2023

12: AUG 2023

Source: TRAC at Syracuse University (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse)

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2- ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends

The U.S. government’s COVID-19 public health emergency order expired on May 11, 2023 — this includes the termination of the Title 42 order that resulted in the expulsion of over 2.5 million migrants from the US-Mexico border. With the end of Title 42, in June the government started to ramp up expedited removal deportations under Title 8.

Since the Biden Administration took office, there have been:

• a total of 19,384 ICE Air Flights
• 3,359 Removal Flights

ICE Air Flights

The number of observed removal flights to ten different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean continues to rise. Over the last 12 months, there have been 8,373 ICE Air flights; 1,338 of those have been removal flights.  With an estimated average of 100 passengers per flight, this means that over the past 12 months, as many as 133,800 people could have been returned to Latin America, the Caribbean and a small number to Africa by air by the U.S.

Removal Flights, Lateral Flights, Domestic Shuffles:

In August 2023, there were 856 ICE Air flights, utilizing 24 different planes operated by 4 different charter carriers (IAero aka Swift, World Atlantic, GlobalX, and Gryphon). This went up 291 from July and was above the average of the prior 6-months (690) by 166.  

Removal flights:

In August 2023, removal flights increased from 99 in July to 153 in August. 

The Northern Triangle countries of Honduras (51), Guatemala (52), and El Salvador (9) are 73% of all removal flights.  

Removal flights are a mix of migrants being sent back to their home countries under  Title 8 (“inadmissables”),  and deportations. 

Lateral flights:

Lateral flights in August increased from 26 to 32. About half of the lateral flights originated in Tucson while the other half originated in Del Rio. San Diego received a little more than half of all laterals with Laredo receiving the rest. 

Shuffle flights:

Shuffle flights increased from 316 in July to 476 in August, probably influenced by the encounters of migrants in July. Shuffle flights are domestic flights transporting migrants from either from one processing center along the border to another, or from one detention center to another.  Shuffle flights include the lateral flights, listed above.

Country Details:

Honduras

Flights to Honduras increased to 51 in August from 38 in July. This is the highest month of the 44 on record. Returns of Hondurans (6,136) represented 24% of July encounters.

For the 5th month in a row, there weren’t any removal flights to Honduras from Mexico, and land returns from El Carmen, Mexico, remained very low at 750.  

Guatemala

ICE Air flights to Guatemala increased to 52 in August from 24 in July. 

For the 3rd month in a row there were no deportation flights from Mexico to Guatemala, Mexico did return 2,725 Guatemalans by land. 

Ecuador

Ice Air Flights to Ecuador increased to 8 in August from 4 in July. 

Colombia

ICE Air Flights to Colombia decreased from 9 (July) to 7 (August).

El Salvador

Flights to El Salvador increased to 9 in August.

Dominican Republic:

Flights increased by 2 (2 in July; 4 in August). 

Peru:

Increased by 8 (3 in July; 11 in August)

Haiti: 

Experienced no flights in July.

Brazil:

Flights remained at 0. 

Cuba:

Experienced the first return flight since December 2020 on April 24. Followed by 1 in May, 1 in June, 1 in July and 1 in August.  The Government of Cuba announced that only 287 people have been returned on the 5 flights this year.

Small Jet Removals

Observations included two flights with four country stops on a Gryphon Air Gulfstream that carries 12-15 passengers as a maximum. Deportations on this route included Mauritania (1), Senegal (1), Cambodia (1), and Vietnam (1).

Mexico Operated Removal

Flights surprisingly stopped altogether in June, July, and now August. 

Sources: Witness At the Border

3- Increase in Migrants at the US-Mexico Border 

The number of migrants crossing the border is likely to keep growing, keeping the amount of migrants at the border higher. Here are some of the reasons:

a) There’s been an increase in Venezuelans crossing the Darién Gap. There has been an increase of migrants coming from Venezuela due to the socioeconomic crisis,  fueled by what some describe as authoritarianism by the Maduro government, and worsened by the global pandemic and US sanctions. 

b) Many migrants have been waiting in Mexico for months. Since Title 42 was lifted and new measures aimed at stopping illegal immigration, there has been an increase in the number of asylum seekers at the border. 

c) an increase in violence in parts of Mexico has made their numbers increase.

The cumbersome asylum process keeps the numbers of asylum seekers large. Migrants are required to use the CBP 1 app on a mobile phone, but many migrants' phones don’t have the technology necessary to use the app. This app is seeing another issue with language barriers. The app only works in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Then if migrants do pass the credible fear interview at the border, they have trouble finding temporary housing. Many migrant shelters are full and are asking the federal government to supply more resources so that they can keep up with demand. 

The numbers are on the rise. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  says that Border Patrol apprehended more than 7,500 on Sunday September 17. This is a significant increase. In the entire month of July, Border Patrol apprehended 4,300 migrants.

Sources: San Diego CBS8, CNN, NBC

4- US-Mexico Border: “deadliest land route for migrants worldwide” 

A report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that the U.S.-Mexico border was “the deadliest land route for migrants worldwide on record” in 2022. Of 1,457 deaths counted across the Western Hemisphere-wide last year, 686 occurred on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. That 686 number is actually an undercount. The US Department of Homeland Security has reported that 890 migrants died attempting to enter the United States between ports of entry across the southwest border in 2022. And that 890 number is also an undercount because regional humanitarian groups along the border find a higher count of migrant remains than Border Patrol does in the regions that they cover.  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has yet to produce the 2022 version of its Border Rescues and Mortality Data report.

According to IOM, nearly half (307) of the deaths on the United States-Mexico border were linked to the hazardous crossing of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, far more than other desert regions around the world (e.g.,  212 people died in the Sahara Desert in 2022). Where else are deaths increasing? Caribbean migration routes (350 deaths) and Panama’s Darién Gap (141 deaths). While Panama has yet to release detailed numbers through August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on September 5 that about 330,000 people so far this year have migrated through the jungles of the Darién Gap.  A September 14 New York Times story from the Darién Gap, citing Panamanian authorities, reported that 82,000 people—a record by far—transited the region in August.

The full report on 2022 migrant deaths in the Americas is available here.  

 Sources

https://www.iom.int/news/us-mexico-border-worlds-deadliest-migration-land-route

https://www.wola.org/2023/09/weekly-u-s-mexico-border-update-migrant-deaths-in-transit-migration-san-diego-encampment-texas-updates/

5- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) updates 

The secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS Secretary) has the authority to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible foreign born individuals whom DHS deems are unable to return home safely due to conditions or circumstances preventing their country from adequately handling the return, such as armed conflict or environmental disaster.

Migrants who qualify for TPS are in better shape than others who are totally undocumented. Even though they have no path to permanent legalization, they can get  permission to work while residing in the US. And about every two years they can re-apply to renew their TPS and work permit. About 610,000 reside legally in the US with TPS status.

 Biden expands TPS

Since TPS was established under the Immigration Action of 1990, new TPS designations for countries were issued six times during the George H.W. Bush Administration, ten times during the Clinton Administration, twice during the George W. Bush Administration, eight times during the Obama Administration, and nine times so far during the Biden Administration. President Biden has asked Congress to pass legislation that would allow TPS recipients who meet certain conditions to apply immediately for green cards that would let them become lawful permanent residents. The president has also broadened the list of conditions under which immigrants can seek TPS protection. For some nationalities whose TPS was set to expire, the president has re-designated TPS for them.

 This is a list of extended or recently re-designated TPS programs (Sep 2023):

Sudan

Ukraine

El Salvador

Honduras

Nepal

Nicaragua

Venezuela

What is re-designation?

The original TPS designations for Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador were made more than 20 years ago. When the Biden administration extended TPS for those countries, it was for current TPS holders.

If the Biden administration were to re-designate TPS, it would change the cut-off date of when people had to have entered the U.S. in order to qualify for the program, and those who entered within the last 20 years would be eligible.

Who else should receive TPS?

Migrant justice advocates are making strong cases for granting TPS to people from Mauritania (where enslavement of Black Mauritanians still occurs), Nigeria, and Congo (aka DRC).

Who has TPS designations?

Congress established TPS in 1990. Currently, 16 countries are designated for the program.

When does their TPS expire ?

2023

Nov 3: South Sudan (80)

Dec 7: Cameroon (NA)

2024

March 31: Syria (6,448)

May 24: Burma/Myanmar (380)

June 12: Ethiopia (26,730)

*June 30: Haiti (42,890; those entering the US after Nov 6 2022 in separate category below)

Aug 3: Haiti

Sep 3: Yemen (1,355)

Sep 17: Somalia (370)

2025

*March 9: El Salvador (193,940)

**April 19: Sudan (570)

April 19: Ukraine (9250)

May 20: Afghanistan

*June 24: Nepal (9,355)

*July 5: Honduras (58,625)

*July 5: Nicaragua (3,130

August 10: Venezuela (714,700)

   *On Nov. 10, 2022, DHS posted a Federal Register Notice announcing that beneficiaries under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti in 2011, El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan in 2013 will retain their TPS while the preliminary injunction in Ramos v. Wolf and the stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai v. Nielsen No. 19-cv-731 (N.D. Cal, March 12, 2019 ) remain in effect, provided they remain individually eligible for TPS.

 **June 30, 2024, for current beneficiaries under the 2013 TPS designation for Sudan whose documents have been automatically extended by the Nov. 2022 FRN. (If the Ramos court order continues, DHS will publish an updated notice as needed.)

 As the expiration date of TPS protections approaches, the DHS Secretary has the authority to renew TPS for another 18 months. The more permanent (and just) fix would be for Congress to give permanent legal status and a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders. That is what migrant justice advocates are pushing for.

Sources

https://www.voanews.com/a/tps-extended-for-six-countries-advocates-urge-status-for-more/7248518.html?emci=f3034ad6-524e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&emdi=130d5edb-584e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&ceid=6340128

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/09/20/secretary-mayorkas-announces-extension-and-redesignation-venezuela-temporary

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status

6- At the Border: Recent Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border 

This is a space where we share current incidents from the US southern border to show that these issues that we write about do, in fact, immediately affect people at the border and in detention, and the horrible things many migrants have to experience while seeking refuge in the U.S.

Aug 28 - A Texas National Guard soldier allegedly fired a gun near the U.S.-Mexico border, hitting a 22-year-old man in Mexico. Mexican authorities and human rights advocate Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) confirmed the incident. According to BNHR, the victim was not trying to cross the border but was engaged in sports. Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of BNHR, said, "We are deeply appalled by the actions of the Texas National Guard, which under Gov. Abbott's leadership has continued to usurp Federal authority and unleash unnecessary chaos at our southern border." Operation Lone Star, launched two-and-a-half years ago, has faced a lot of criticism. In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas filed a complaint against Governor Greg Abbott's migrant arrest program, and last summer, Abbott's Executive Order drew criticism from Latino organizations. The Biden administration was investigating Operation Lone Star for civil rights violations, but Abbott blamed the administration for alleged border insecurity. Recently, the controversial floating ‘buoy barrier’ in the Rio Grande has also gathered a lot of attention and criticism. Efforts to obtain more details from the Texas National Guard about the incident are ongoing.

Aug 31 - Upon assuming office, President Biden faced a critical decision regarding asylum and border policy. He could choose to either continue past unsuccessful approaches or implement policies that safeguard the rights of asylum seekers. Regrettably, Biden largely chose to maintain or replicate harsh policies, despite the ongoing global refugee crisis. Initially, his administration expelled numerous asylum seekers under the Title 42 policy but ended mass expulsions in May 2023, only to introduce a rule resembling Trump’s asylum ban. Additional policies aimed to deter asylum seekers, such as expedited removal, were also expanded, resulting in minimal due process for those in Customs and Border Protection custody.

As the number of families seeking refuge increased, the administration considered detaining them, even though this practice had previously resulted in the deaths of children! Eventually, they implemented the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) program, which, like expedited removal, hindered families' access to legal representation and a fair chance at asylum. Despite these challenges, the Biden administration continues to expand the FERM program across various cities nationwide.

Read the full article here: https://rb.gy/gn047 

Sep 1 - Border Patrol agents in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, USA, have been dealing with a surge of migrants, including young Senegalese men, as well as families with young children from India, making a dangerous journey in triple-degree heat to reach the U.S. soil. This remote corridor has become a new route for migrants from Africa and Asia, as well as traditional border crossers from Mexico and Central America. The Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol has seen a sudden increase in activity, registering 39,215 arrests in July, up 60% from June. Smugglers have been luring migrants with false advertising, claiming it is easier to cross here and enter the United States. Most migrants in the area request asylum, but recent restrictions have made that far from guaranteed. The Ajo Station, which covers the Organ Pipe and Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge areas, has become the busiest area within the Tucson Sector since the year 2008. The conditions in this isolated region are harsh, with rough roads and limited water and shade. Migrant rescues by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have increased significantly, with 28,537 recorded during the 10-month period ending in July. Humanitarian groups, like ‘Samaritans Without Borders’, have been working tirelessly to provide water, snacks, and assistance to migrants in distress. Despite their efforts, some migrants face dire consequences, as evidenced by the discovery of the remains of 43 suspected border crossers in southern Arizona in July, including two found in Organ Pipe.

Sep 23 - Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have arrived at the United States border in the last two years, driven by exhaustion from years of economic struggle and failed global policies, along with the influence of social media and a thriving people-moving business. Venezuela's economic and humanitarian crisis, worsened by tough U.S. sanctions in 2019, has left people struggling to feed their families on meager salaries, with the average monthly cost to feed a family of four being $372. Many Venezuelans are willing to take enormous risks to find sanctuary for their families. In the early days of the crisis, many Venezuelans migrated to other South American countries like Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, but low wages and other issues have pushed them to seek refuge in the United States. Life in Venezuela has improved for a select few, but public schools and healthcare have deteriorated, and basic supplies are scarce. Electricity and gasoline shortages persist due to infrastructure deterioration. Venezuelans attempting to reach the United States face a cruel land journey, including a dangerous jungle called the Darién Gap. Venezuelans are now the largest group crossing this perilous route. Human rights abuses, including torture and forced disappearances, have been documented in Venezuela for nearly a decade, prompting many to flee. 

U.S. economic sanctions on Venezuela since 2019 have exacerbated the country’s economic collapse, although experts debate the extent of their impact. A presidential election is planned for next year, but skepticism remains about its fairness, as leading opposition candidates have been disqualified. Many people hope for political change and economic recovery in the future.  

SOURCES 

1. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-national-guardsman-allegedly-shoots-across-u-s-border-wounding-man-in-mexico/?emci=f3034ad6-524e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&emdi=130d5edb-584e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&ceid=6340128 
2. https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arizona-desert-border-patrol-6910a0552681e31232f37a8f3ab7fc8c?emci=f3034ad6-524e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&emdi=130d5edb-584e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&ceid=6340128 
3. https://immigrantjustice.org/research-items/policy-brief-ices-family-expedited-removal-management-ferm-program-puts-families?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&emci=f3034ad6-524e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&emdi=130d5edb-584e-ee11-a3f1-00224832e1ba&ceid=6340128 
4. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/24/world/americas/why-are-so-many-venezuelans-going-to-the-united-states.html?emci=90dcc0d9-835c-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&emdi=a14be971-865c-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&ceid=4629123 

Want to find out more about the conditions at the southern US border? Sign up for the weekly Border Update from WOLA. https://www.wola.org/tag/weekly-border-update/ 

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TAKE ACTION NOW

Now that you are up to date on the issues at and around the southern border of the U.S., here is what you can do to take action this week and act in solidarity with migrants and their families.

A) Request for Reuniting Families Act

Click here to read a one-pager on this legislation introduced on September 19 by Rep Judy Chu (D-CA-28). Click here to find the contact info for your congressperson. 

TAKE ACTION. Urge them to co-sponsor the Reuniting Families Act of 2023 (HR 5560), which would strengthen and reform our family-based immigration system and end the family-based backlogs, which have kept families apart for years and even decades.

B) Home Is Here: Support DACA

On September 13, a federal judge ruled against DACA again. The Fifth Circuit, who has ruled against DACA before, will now be next to decide the future of DACA and the case may eventually make its way to the Supreme Court again. But no matter what the court says, we know that DACA is right and legal. 

AS of now, DACA renewal applications are still being accepted, but this legal back and forth makes it clear that Biden and Congress must deliver on permanent protections for 

our DACA-eligible young people.. This is the time to act! 

TAKE ACTION. Click here to tell  your congressperson to support a permanent pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.

C) Defund Hate

The Biden administration has been pushing “alternatives to detention.” In cities across the US, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) contracts the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) to surveil immigrants as a purported “alternative to detention.” ISAP subjects migrants to different methods of surveillance including ankle monitors, home visits, telephonic monitoring, and required check-ins at

the ISAP office, which can be physically, emotionally, and psychologically

abusive. ICE and ISAP restrict freedom of movement of our asylum-seeking neighbors and avoid all accountability measures.

The Defund Hate campaign has already been successful in blocking $15 billion requested for ICE and CBP. Don’t let Congress avoid accountability for the way their funding decisions impact communities. Together, we have the power to change this.

TAKE ACTION. Click here to sign the petition to demand Congress cut funding for ICE and CBP and defund hate!

D) Stop New Forms of Family Detention

The White House recently sent a request to Congress for supplemental funding which included more than two billion additional dollars for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This funding would create new, and misleadingly named, “community-based residential centers” that would essentially reinstate a new form of family detention, increase funds for harmful surveillance and data sharing, and facilitate the rapid deportations of migrants exercising their legal right to seek asylum.

TAKE ACTION. Click here to end a letter to your congressperson. Demand no more money in our name to intentionally harm migrants and border communities.

 E) Root Causes of Migration:  Sanctions hurt people!

On June 8, 2023, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation (S 1881) which would extend the U.S. government’s authority to impose sanctions on Nicaragua through December 31, 2028!  The bill is now in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with no vote taken yet, so there is time for us to take action together!

The new sanctions seek to restrict loans for economic development from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). Sanctions adversely affect the distribution of electricity and potable water, hurt the economy, increase unemployment, and encourage out-migration.

TAKE ACTION. Click here to send a message to your US senators. Tell them that the new sanctions proposal would restrict loans for economic development and infringe upon the property rights of US citizens and residents investing in Nicaragua.

 F) Root Causes of Migration: Stop the Gun Running to Haiti

In late August, the US government urged all US citizens to depart Haiti immediately due to insecurity. According to the U.N., 1,860 people have been reported killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti from April to June of this year alone.

 Criminal organizations can rule with impunity because they are highly armed: with guns that are largely illegally smuggled from the United States.

TAKE ACTION. Click here to urge your congressperson to co-sponsor the U.S.-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2023 (HR 4015). As long as the violence continues, food insecurity and extreme poverty will continue to rise in Haiti. This act is a crucial step in diminishing the power of criminal organizations to terrorize everyday people.

G) Root Causes of Migration: Stop the persecution of Afro-Indigenous Hondurans!

In the early morning hours of September 19, five armed men entered the home of Miriam Miranda in the Garífuna community of Vallecito, Colón Department, well-respected coordinator of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH). Although security protocols helped to prevent a physical attack against her, the incident is yet another example of what Garífuna leaders face for defending their ancestral lands all across the north coast of Honduras.

 The violence and attacks against the Garífuna people  are perpetuated by actors with significant economic interests. Foreign and Honduran tourism industry investors, mining and energy companies, developers of the Zones of Economic Development and Employment (ZEDEs), and agro-industrial companies (focused on the production of palm oil, bananas, sugar) operate  in full complicity with organized criminal groups, and many elements of the military, police, and  local authorities of the current government and past administrations. Many of the projects linked to these interests operate in total impunity and with tremendous violence that seeks to displace the Garífuna peoples from their beautiful ancestral lands. This must stop.

 TAKE ACTION. Click here to ask your congressperson to contact the government of Honduras to investigate this assassination attempt and take other measures in defense of the Garífuna people, including co-sponsorship of a U.S. House resolution in support of OFRANEH and the Garífuna people, which will be introduced by Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO-01) later this fall.  

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Thank you for reading IRTF’s Migrant Justice Newsletter!

Read the full IRTF Migrant Justice Newsletter each month at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/blog .