September 22, 2021
NHMC Urges President Biden to Halt the Deportation of Haitian Immigrants and Asylum Seekers Along the U.S. Mexico Border
A Statement from Brenda Victoria Castillo, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
The sight of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents on horseback whipping Haitian immigrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border is appalling and a betrayal of our morals and laws. This brutality and violence towards refugees and immigrants is inhumane and should not be tolerant in this country.
In addition, the squalid and unsanitary conditions under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, where many refugees reside, are unacceptable. The National Hispanic Media Coalition condemns these hateful actions and disdain for human rights and urges President Biden to halt the deportations of Haitian immigrants and asylum seekers in the U.S.-Mexico border.
We are deeply disappointed by the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued use of Title 42, which was put in place by the Trump Administration to justify restrictive immigration practices as a means to stop the spread of COVID-19. Like many Latinx refugees, Haitian refugees are merely seeking safety and the ability to apply for asylum as permitted by our laws. However, when those most vulnerable seek refuge, we see CBP agents whipping them and deporting them without adequate due process for their claims.
NHMC urges President Biden to halt deportations until Haiti has recovered from its current crises. We also urge the Biden Administration to expedite additional personnel and resources to the southern border to allow asylum seekers to present their asylum claims and be provided due process. As U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer stated, “[we] cannot continue these hateful and xenophobic Trump policies that disregard our refugee laws.”
Yours in the Movement,
Brenda Victoria Castillo
President & CEO
National Hispanic Media Coalition
