On what is being called a Black Immigrant Week of Action during Black History Month, Black immigrants and allies held a Wednesday press conference rally at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. to call for an end of deportation flights and all deportations “until a humane immigration system can be constructed,” a media release about the rally said.
Participants included Black immigrants from Sudan, Cameroon, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries as well as members of African Communities Together (ACT), CASA, Haitian Bridge Alliance, NAKASEC, UndocuBlack Network, and UNITE HERE.
“The groups have five demands throughout this Black Immigrant Week of Action, which includes a congressional briefing and social media takeovers,” part of the release noted.
- End deportation flights and all deportations until a humane immigration system can be constructed
- Empty all detention centers, by releasing individuals into the community.
- Allow all pending claims before federal courts to be fully adjudicated and ensure that the members of our communities are afforded their due process rights, instead of forcing them to sign deportation papers.
- Announce the extension of Temporary Protected Status for all relevant countries, including Mauritania and Cameroon, in the interim Deferred Enforced Departure for Mauritania and Cameroon.
- Ensure that all those who’ve been unjustly deported have a right to return to the U.S. without and loopholes or roadblocks.
