September 2022 marks one year since U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers’ brutality, chasing, lashing at, and nearly trampling Haitian asylum seekers in Del Rio, Texas. Since then, the Biden administration has failed to meaningfully hold CBP accountable for these actions or its culture of impunity. In the year since then, an insufficient investigation by CBP in July 2022 failed to include any interviews of Haitian migrants, minimized the abuse perpetrated in Del Rio, and further revealed the entrenched anti-Blackness and racial bias that are entangled in the ways border officials interact with immigrants and asylum seekers.
It is vital that there’s accountability and justice to reclaim and recenter the voices of Haitian asylum seekers harmed by the federal government in Del Rio and in its aftermath. Now is a critical time to hold the administration accountable to bring back all Haitian asylum seekers who were denied their right to seek safety in the United States to pursue their asylum claims, to increase equity in processing at the border, and welcome and provide humanitarian assistance to Black immigrants and asylum seekers, including Haitians, who face particularly acute challenges in accessing permanent protection — as well as to terminate immoral “Title 42” expulsions and fully restore asylum protections.
Click “Send Email” to Contact Your 2 Senators and 1 Representative
On the right-hand side, you can send an email that connects you to your Members of Congress. Please make sure to insert your city/town in the highlighted portion.
Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I am outraged by the brutality conducted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, chasing, lashing at, and nearly tramping Haitian asylum seekers in Del Rio, Texas last year. Since then, the administration has failed to hold CBP accountable for these actions or its culture of impunity. I call on Congress to hold the administration accountable to bring back all Haitian asylum seekers who were denied their right to seek safety in the United States to pursue their asylum claims, to increase equity in processing at the border, and welcome and provide humanitarian assistance to Black immigrants and asylum seekers, including Haitians, who face particularly acute challenges in accessing permanent protection — as well as to terminate immoral “Title 42” expulsions and fully restore asylum protections. Our moral and legal obligations compel us to welcome all people with dignity. My community welcomes asylum seekers and immigrants, and I urge you to do the same.”
Amplify on Social Media: Use and share this digital toolkit and these graphics to lift up stories of directly impacted Haitian migrants and the treatment of Black migrants at the border. You can also check out these talking points. Here are some sample posts:
- This week marks #1YearAfterDelRio when CBP officers abused Haitian asylum seekers in TX—many of whom were expelled back to danger. Since then, there has been no accountability for the suffering inflicted on these people who were fleeing for their lives. #DefendBlackMigrants
- The Biden admin knew many Haitians would be seeking refuge from deadly earthquakes + political instability—but intentionally failed to prepare. A few months later, it mobilized resources to welcome 100k Ukrainians. ALL people seeking safety deserve this same robust support.
- The DHS investigation into CBP abuse in Del Rio that Sec. Mayorkas pledged on 9/22/21 would be completed in “days, not weeks” took 9.5 MONTHS. It was a sham, including no interviews of Haitian migrants + ignoring the abuse of Haitians. #1YearAfterDelRio #DefendBlackMigrants
Additional Resources:
- CATO Institute: CBP Is Expelling Thousands of Infants and Toddlers to Mexico After Midnight
- Factsheet: Children and Families Must Have Access to Asylum: Threats to Asylum are Threats to Children’s Safety
- Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH): Update on the Human Rights and Rule of Law Situation in Haiti
- National Immigrant Justice Center: 5 Facts About Title 42: Why Congress Should Not Codify The Trump-Era Expulsion Policy