Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #WelcomeWithDignity
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🧵We want to thank all our elected leaders that joined @MomsRising’s #HonorMomsEveryDay Picnic. TY for being champions for our families (and for playing with the kids on the Capitol lawn!). 🧵
Thank you to @SpeakerPelosi for joining us at yesterday’s #HonorMomsEveryDay Mother’s Day picnic celebrating moms across the country!
@SpeakerPelosi We are so glad that Hodge and his dad @RepJimmyGomez were able to attend our #HonorMomsEveryDay picnic celebrating the mothers in our lives and fighting for care policies families need!
It's been a day in immigration court land. 🤯Within hours of one another we got dueling decisions from 2 different courts in cases involving Title 42, an absurd, cruel policy that has made a mockery of our asylum laws. Here's a 🧵on what happened today. /1
This morning, the DC Circuit ruled in the Huisha Huisha case brought by a courageous group of plaintiffs & attorneys challenging the use of T42 against families. The decision was a win b/c the court said T42 should not be applied to expel families to persecution or torture./2
This merits a bit more explanation. 1st, the DC circuit said that the administration could use the CDC order to expel migrants. But, the court said that power was not unchecked--and migrants could not be expelled to places they would be persecuted or tortured. /3
Last week was the Black Immigrant Advocacy Day of Action! We joined in celebrating the leadership of Black immigrants in the work to expose + eradicate racism in the immigration system. But fighting for Black Immigrants isn't just a one time event. Here's what we can STILL DO: 👇🏽
Support + follow Black immigrant-led immigrants rights organizations, including:
@AfricansUS
@HaitianBridge
@UndocuBlack
@OfficialBLMP
@BAJItweet
@CamAdvocacy
@FANMOrg
@MauritanianFor
@mnbictweets
@africanbureau1
@Dreamdefenders
@ECDCUS
@CamAmerCouncil
@AfricansUS
@HaitianBridge
@UndocuBlack
@OfficialBLMP
@BAJItweet
@CamAdvocacy
@FANMOrg
@MauritanianFor
@mnbictweets
@africanbureau1
@Dreamdefenders
@ECDCUS
@CamAmerCouncil
Donate to the Black Immigrants Bail Fund to eradicate the mass incarceration of Black immigrants. #FreeThemAll #Act4BlackImms blackimmigrantsbailfund.com
Last week ImmDef's Directing Attorney of our Cross-Border Initiative in San Diego, @CargioliM, was in court on the first day of resumed MPP 2.0 hearings to observe. This thread details what she witnessed. #EndMPP #RestoreAsylumNow #WelcomeWithDignity #AccessToJustice
Asylum seekers in MPP only have from 10 to 12 to potentially meet w/ lawyers on their day in court. That is if they can find a lawyer willing to represent them while being forced to remain in Tijuana, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. #DueProcess #AccessToCounsel
On the first day of MPP court in San Diego since the Biden administration decided to resume the deadly program, there are two judges hearing 7 cases. In the days and weeks ahead these numbers will sadly increase as more and more human beings are placed into MPP.
Today @POTUS and @SecMayorkas issued their guidance to reimplement (and expand!!!) the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) - a deadly program that violates the human rights of asylum-seekers every day it exists. A🧵on what this means and how it's really really bad.
Today, we, along with @ImmDef @TransLawCenter @JFSSD + @sdACLU filed a complaint asking @DHSOIG to investigate @CBP’s failure to expeditiously process urgent humanitarian parole applications. Right now humanitarian parole is practically the only path to safety in the U.S.
In recent months, dozens of applications for urgent humanitarian parole filed by all of us have gone unanswered for weeks, if not months or denied with no explanation
Some of the pending applications include:
- A family with a 3yr old child who has urgent medical needs due to suffering from epilepsy + the frequent seizures caused by the condition.
- A family with a baby who has intracranial hypertension, epilepsy + fluid in the brain.
- A family with a 3yr old child who has urgent medical needs due to suffering from epilepsy + the frequent seizures caused by the condition.
- A family with a baby who has intracranial hypertension, epilepsy + fluid in the brain.
DHS just released its plan on how to respond to the increase in - mostly Haitian - migrants who are crossing in to the US at Del Rio, Texas. It is anti-Black, promises to use unfair procedures, and is, well, just frankly an infuriating disappointment. dhs.gov/news/2021/09/1… 
Instead of focusing on providing access to asylum , DHS promises to us illegal expulsions under Title 42 & expedited removal and " to accelerate the pace and increase the capacity of removal flights to Haiti and other destinations in the hemisphere within the next 72 hours."
Human Rights Watch’s recent assessment of Haiti concluded that the country was “facing one of its worst outbreaks of violence since 1986” and was failing “to meet the basic needs of its people, resolve long-standing human rights problems, and address humanitarian crises.”
#Breaking: The 5th Circuit shamefully failed to stop a district court decision that will force the government to resurrect Trump’s failed #RemainInMexico program as early as this weekend. Court watchers and advocates should care about this ruling. A thread 🧵about why: 1/9
TX is using the playbook states like CA & others employed in the Trump years to try to stop Biden from getting rid of terrible Trump policies. Gov Abbott thinks scoring points by scapegoating immigrants is a winning strategy & continues to blame immigrants for his failures. 2/9
One lawsuit filed by TX and MO sought to prevent Biden from winding down the heinous “Remain in Mexico” program, which was instituted by Trump and left tens of thousands of asylum seekers marooned in Mexico for months or years with no way to assert their right to asylum. 3/9
Why is the Biden admin finding new ways to return refugees to danger?
@DHSgov's #expeditedremoval decision denies due process & undermines the universal human right to seek protection.
Read our statement and sign the pledge to #WelcomeWithDignity. welcomewithdignity.org/take-action
@DHSgov's #expeditedremoval decision denies due process & undermines the universal human right to seek protection.
Read our statement and sign the pledge to #WelcomeWithDignity. welcomewithdignity.org/take-action
"The Biden admin ... are leveraging the complicated and broken immigration system with one goal: expelling those in need to score political points. You can’t build back better if you’re using a foundation laid by white supremacists.” Jess Morales Rocketto of @fams2gether
“The announcement from the White House today on the changes to asylum processing is a devastating blow to ASAP’s members – and all asylum seekers,” -Conchita Cruz, @asylumadvocacy.
Today the Biden administration took another important step to dismantle the cruel Remain in Mexico or MPP program created by Trump. Good on Biden, but we this is merely the 1st mile in a marathon that the administration needs to run to restore humanity to our asylum system. 1/9
Today’s news 📰 will allow folks outside of the U.S. who had their MPP case terminated or who were ordered deported in absentia to register & apply for processing into the U.S. More info here: dhs.gov/migrant-protec… 2/9
So, who could this benefit? Immigrants can be ordered removed “in absentia” when they do not attend their immigration court hearing. And such an order does not say they did not qualify for asylum—just that they didn’t show up to court. 3/9
Here's my take on what today's memo from @AliMayorkas formally ending the MPP program means--and what it still leaves left to be done.
For those wanting to nerd out. Here's the memo: dhs.gov/sites/default/…
1/7
For those wanting to nerd out. Here's the memo: dhs.gov/sites/default/…
1/7
Why did this happen today? Remember that on Feb. 2, 2021 Biden issued an executive order that paused the MPP program and required the Secretary of DHS to promptly review the program & decide whether to formally terminate it. That formal termination came today via this memo. 2/7
But MPP had been paused long before that. MPP court hearings stopped on March 23, 2020 due to the pandemic--leaving many asylum seekers in legal limbo while forced to wait outside the U.S. in unsafe conditions.
So what is new today...?
3/7
So what is new today...?
3/7
There are ways to do this that could make the asylum system more humane, fair, timely & effective. But language in this plan signals steps to cut due process & use flawed expedited removal. If that is the case, the Biden admin needs to adjust course, and do this the former way.
The last thing we need is yet another round of sacrificing due process and effective refugee protection decisions to try to send a deterrent message.
Who is the audience for that messaging and what is the goal?
Plus the fundamental problems still need to be fixed.
Who is the audience for that messaging and what is the goal?
Plus the fundamental problems still need to be fixed.
Any asylum system will break down when:
➡️chronically understaffed
➡️it rejects cases that merit protection due to pressures to process numbers, not grant, or bias
➡️Congress + the Trump admin added so many hurdles & requirements that cases take increasing amounts of time, &👇
➡️chronically understaffed
➡️it rejects cases that merit protection due to pressures to process numbers, not grant, or bias
➡️Congress + the Trump admin added so many hurdles & requirements that cases take increasing amounts of time, &👇
It's been quite the Friday in immigration news 🗞️. Here are my hot takes on the asylum news from today.
Speed & efficiency are great values for vaccine distribution but they are off base for asylum. Here's why: the cost of going too fast = sending people to their deaths. 1/10
Speed & efficiency are great values for vaccine distribution but they are off base for asylum. Here's why: the cost of going too fast = sending people to their deaths. 1/10
The day's 1st announcement was from @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov creating a rocket docket for families seeking asylum who are exempted from the cruel Title 42 policy that expels most families seeking safety. (They call it a "dedicated docket" but if it walks like a 🦆 ...) 2/10
I'm not against efficient systems if they're fair, but we're light years away from a fair system. Real talk: we do not have a working asylum system for the southern border. We have an expulsion policy-unjustified by public health needs-with a pitiful amount of exceptions. 3/10
3 years ago this week, our South Texas team walked into a Federal courtroom where our government separated families through a violent border-wide policy. “Will I see my children again?” asked hundreds.
But family separation was not just a Trump practice. It continues today.
But family separation was not just a Trump practice. It continues today.
Policies like Title-42, i.e. the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of immigrants under the guise of a healthcare law, continue under @JoeBiden. T-42 and toxic @DHSgov practices continue to separate families at the border- our team sees it daily.
Because #FamiliesBelongTogether, we have never stopped fighting separations and continue to reunify families at the border. Even in this administration we have reunified children with their expelled parents, and do so daily for those separated across borders by T-42 expulsions.
Today we’re proud to announce the official launch of the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign. We’re working with hundreds of advocates and organizations to say it loud and clear: we’re ready for a just asylum system that puts compassion and dignity first.
➡️welcomewithdignity.org
➡️welcomewithdignity.org
What does #WelcomeWithDignity mean to you?
The #WelcomewithDignity campaign is committed to transforming the way the U.S. receives and protects people who survived violence and left behind their homes. Together, w/our border orgs, we can build a more just and truly humane asylum system. Join us: bit.ly/WelcomeWithDig…
Today the #WelcomeWithDignity launched to undo Trump's cruelty and build a more just and humane asylum system
bit.ly/3oQuaXw
bit.ly/3oQuaXw
"This great injustice of the Trump years not only needs to be reversed and the policies undone, but the United States must build back a much, much better system of meeting our obligations to follow our own laws regarding families and individuals seeking safety." - @douglasrivlin
"We can welcome families, children and adults seeking asylum with dignity and honor the rule of law. The #WelcomeWithDignity campaign will be central in that recovery and rebuilding effort." - @douglasrivlin
HAPPENING NOW: Asylum Experts, Border Advocates, and Faith Leaders Hold Press Call to Mark Launch of National Campaign to #WelcomeWithDignity
Bilal Askaryar, Welcome With Dignity Communications Coordinator:
"This campaign is about the average citizen who is called to welcome their neighbor with dignity"
#WelcomeWithDignity
"This campaign is about the average citizen who is called to welcome their neighbor with dignity"
#WelcomeWithDignity
.@GuerlineMJozef, of @HaitianBridge :
"When we are looking at Black immigrants who end up at the Mexican border... they are the most targeted...We must also look at racial justice!"
#WelcomeWithDignity
"When we are looking at Black immigrants who end up at the Mexican border... they are the most targeted...We must also look at racial justice!"
#WelcomeWithDignity
The Biden Administration is taking more steps to undo and repair some of the most cruel elements of the Trump era immigration. bit.ly/3f5CcIY #WelcomeWithDignity
"The Biden Administration’s decision to stop detaining immigrants at two detention facilities in Massachusetts and Georgia and rescind associated 287(g) agreements is a welcome first step toward undoing Trump’s four year reign of cruelty against immigrants." - @DavidLeopold
"Today’s announcement by Secretary Mayorkas brings hope that in the days & weeks to come the Biden administration will end all 287(g) agreements throughout the U.S. & ensure that ICE & CBP will abide by the highest professional standards & are held accountable." - @DavidLeopold
Today's statement by the UN High Commissioner for @Refugees encouraging @POTUS to end the U.S. policies expelling asylum seekers is a big deal. achttps://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2021/5/60a687764/statement-attributable-un-high-commissioner-refugees-filippo-grandi-need.html 1/3
It's rare for the UNHCR to publicly speak out against policies that hurt refugees and asylum seekers in this way. And, the statement calls out the U.S. for using COVID as an excuse to turn its back on its asylum obligations. 2/3
UNHCR points out that other countries have been able to protect public safety & uphold their asylum obligations even during the height of COVID. We can do that as well, and we must. We can't use COVID as an excuse to turn our back on our legal obligations. #WelcomeWithDignity/end
Mapping out Changes in Immigration Law and Policy During the Administration’s First 100 Days and Beyond is a panel that includes @aayoub w/ @ADC, @pakalchi w/ @CarecenDC, @GuerlineMJozef w/ @HaitianBridge, @meganessaheb w/ @AAAJ_AAJC, and moderated by @CLINICexec.
1/
1/
"We need leadership from the Biden administration, not just responsiveness [on immigration]." @pakalchi, @CarecenDC
2/
2/
#Breaking: some MORE Friday immigration news. Today, we escalated our effort to make sure the U.S. will #WelcomeWithDignity immigrant kids who were involved with MPP by asking the court to order the Biden admin to give these children their Congressionally mandated rights. 1/10
Remember MPP? It forced 70,000+ people seeking safety in the U.S. to live in squalid, dangerous conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden admin has promised to stop MPP & has made progress on that, which we celebrate. But we're a long way from the end of MPP’s ills. 2/10
Under Trump, kids who interacted with MPP & then came across the border w/o parents or caregivers were treated horribly. Our plaintiffs shared heart-wrenching đź’”stories about young children being put on planes & dropped off in countries where they had no parents. 3/10
This is Bryan. After 3 yrs of separation from his mom due to Trump’s zero tolerance policy, he will finally reunite w/her this week. Despite such a traumatic experience, Bryan is fighting back by joining #TeamImmDef to help children like him know their rights.
Thank you to @jacobsoboroff for joining us in celebrating this bittersweet moment. ImmDef met Bryan while he was in an ORR shelter. Since then he was reunited with siblings. This week his family becomes whole again.
“I didn’t have a chance to say anything. We were shocked, crying and didn’t expect to be separated from each other. That was the last time I saw my mom in person.” - ImmDef client Bryan, becomes one of the first children to reunite w/mother under Biden’s Task Force this week.
HAPPENING NOW: A House Homeland Security subcommittee holds a hearing on unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S. border.
Watch now: bit.ly/3vrCMps
Watch now: bit.ly/3vrCMps
.@RepBarragan: "Now is not the time to score political points... I am encouraged President Biden has committed to restoring humane border policies."
#WelcomeWithDignity
#WelcomeWithDignity
.@BennieGThompson: "We do not have to sacrifice border security to treat unaccompanied, vulnerable children with basic decency." #WelcomeWithDignity
Spent a long day at #LongBeach Convention Center with my partner-in-good @Yliana_JM & team @ImmDef. A few things that I keep replaying in my head. Can’t stop thinking about a girl (11) and her little bro (7) who I met. They are nearly the exact same ages as my own son & daughter.
During a legal screening the siblings shared a truly heartbreaking story that I will not detail here explaining why they fled their home country. Suffice to say that they were harmed, at grave risk and are now desperate to reunite with their father who lives here in the US.
As part of our screening we ask specifically about how kids are treated in CBP custody. This young girl explained to me that her little brother and her were separated at the border in TX and placed into separate “hieleras.” They were separated for 4 terrifying days.
