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MIGRANT JUSTICE NEWSLETTER – JAN 2024
Welcome to IRTF’s January 2024 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
- ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends
- US Needs Better Access to Asylum, NOT Less
- Mauritanians Deported from Ohio
- At the Border: Recent Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border
- Accountability for ‘Gross Violations of Human Rights’ at Open-Air Detention Sites at US-Mexico Border
- Black Immigrants and the Hidden Injustices of US Immigration Court
- 50 Catholic Organizations Urge Senate to Not Restrict Asylum
- Congress Members Call for End to Monroe Doctrine and US Intervention in Latin America
- What Mexico’s President Wants in Exchange for Assisting the US with Immigration Enforcement
- Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS) helps asylum seekers become self-sufficient in Cleveland
TAKE ACTION NOW
Here is what you can do to take action this week in solidarity with migrants and their families. (See details at the bottom of this newsletter.)
A) Tell Congress: The Right to Asylum Is NOT a Bargaining Tool
B) Ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor of HR943 calling for the end of the Monroe Doctrine
C) Tell President Biden to Shut Down Gitmo
D) Join a Solidarity Delegation to Panama
E) Tell Congress: Stop Funding War and Inhumane Migration Policies
1- 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 Title 42 order that has expelled over 2.5 million migrants from the US-Mexico border. With the end of Title 42, ICE started to ramp up of expedited removal deportations under Title 8 in June 2023.
In the 4 years of removal flights, there have been 27,002 flights of which 4,956 were return flights.
Since the Biden Administration took office there have been:
- A total of 21,896 ICE Air Flights
- 3,889 Removal Flights
ICE Air Flights
The number of observed removal flights to ten different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were down slightly in DEC 2023. Over the last 12 months, there have been 8,052 ICE Air flights; 1,482 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 148,200 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 December 2023, there were 563 ICE Air flights, utilizing 32 different planes operated by 6 different charter carriers (IAero aka Swift, World Atlantic, GlobalX, National Cargo, OMNI, and Gryphon), this is down by 31 from November, and below the prior 6 months (673) by 110.
Shuffle flights:
Shuffle flights decreased by 4 from 283 in November to 279 in December. 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 below.
Lateral flights:
Lateral flights increased from 23 (Nov) to 25 (Dec). Tucson originated the most lateral flights with 18 to McAllen (12), Laredo(3), and El Paso (3). Seven laterals originated in San Diego to McAllen (3), and El Paso (4).
Removal flights:
In November 2023, removal flights decreased from 140 in November to 128 in December. The northern Triangle countries of Guatemala (50), Honduras (40), and El Salvador (9) continued at an elevated proportion of removal flights with 77% of removal flights in December, down slightly from the 79% in November.
Removal flights are a mix of migrants being sent back to their home countries under Title 8 (“inadmissables”), and deportations.
Countries:
Venezuela
OCT = 3 flights
NOV = 3 flights
DEC = 5 flights
Flights increased from 3 in November to 5 in December. Based on various reports in Venezuela, about 1,304 people have been deported on 11 flights, about 120 per flight.
Honduras
AUG = 51 flights
SEP = 44 flights
OCT = 34 flights
NOV = 40 flights
DEC = 40 flights
Flights to Honduras 40 (Nov) and remained at 40 in December; encounters of Hondurans fell slightly by 2,948 to 18,869, the lowest level since June at 15,093. ICE returned 3,876 Hondurans by air in December, down slightly from Nov (3,908).
Guatemala
AUG = 52 flights
SEP = 45 flights
OCT = 47 flights
NOV = 57 flights (a 35-month high record)
DEC = 50 flights
ICE Air flights to Guatemala decreased from 57 in November to 50 in December. ICE Air returned 6,153 Guatemalans in December, the third highest month in 6 years.
Ecuador
AUG = 8 flights
SEP = 9
OCT = 6
NOV = 4
DEC = 3
ICE Air Flights to Ecuador decreased by 1 from 4 to 3.
Colombia
AUG = 7 flights
SEP = 5
OCT = 5
NOV = 5
DEC = 4
In December 2023, ICE Air Flights to Colombia decreased by 1 from 5 to 4 after remaining steady for the past 3 months.
El Salvador
AUG = 9 flights
SEP = 10
OCT = 20
NOV = 14
DEC = 9
Flights to El Salvador decreased by 5 from 14 in November to 9 in December.
Other destinations:
Dominican Republic:
AUG = 4 flights
SEP = 2
OCT = 2
NOV = 2
DEC = 2
Flights remained steady at 2 for the last 4 months.
Peru:
AUG = 11 flights
SEP = 4
OCT = 4
NOV = 3
DEC = 2
Flights decreased by 1 from 3 (Nov) to 2 (Dec).
Haiti:
AUG = 2 flights
SEP = 1
OCT = 1
NOV = 1
DEC = 1
Brazil:
AUG = 0 flights
SEP = 1
OCT = 1
NOV = 1
DEC = 1
Flights remained at 1 over each of the last 4 months.
Cuba:
Experienced the first return flight since December 2020 on April 24. Followed by 1 in each of the following 8 months, including December.
Mexico Operated Removal
Flights paused on November 22nd after 10 deportations in November because of a lack of funding.
Sources: Witness At the Border
2- US Needs Better Access to Asylum, NOT Less
Women and children are scared to fall asleep, a Mexican man is forced to sign a “voluntary” return to Mexico, and a Mexican woman is held in custody without access to a shower for 8 days. These are all stories from people experiencing the injustice at ports of entry from the lack of access to asylum offered from the US government. Instead of trying to improve their access to asylum, US lawmakers are discussing imposing even harsher restrictions on asylum.
Asylum seekers spend weeks if not months waiting outside the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales, Sonora, (Mexico) having been unable to obtain CBP One appointments (via a mobile phone app). This port of entry has seen the highest number of Border Patrol migrant encounters, with 55,224 in October 2023 and 18,900 during the first week of December 2023 alone. The waitlist that the migrants are facing in Nogales is a result of a US policy that restricts access to asylum only to those who secure appointments through the CBP One app, which has a wait time of months. The CBP One app has strict limits on Mexicans. The mostly Mexican families in the waitlist line have been unable to obtain CBP One appointments, despite months of trying. These families come mostly from violence-affected areas such as Guerrero, Michoacán, and Guanajuato. Driven out of their homes by fear, these families can NOT wait for months in Mexico while they struggle to make ends meet and take care of their children.
The US government must redirect its efforts instead of doubling down on the destructive cycle. They need to prioritize increasing capacity at ports of entry and investing in the asylum case system to allow for faster asylum determinations while upholding due process. When families are forced to leave their homes due to violence, they should be treated with dignity and fairness.
3- Mauritanians Deported from Ohio
Broken Hope: Deportation and the Road Home is a new book that delves into the experiences of deportation from the perspectives of individuals who were deported and their loved ones in Ohio and across the U.S. The book, authored by Lynn Tramonte and Suma Setty, is based on interviews with over 250 deportees, primarily Mauritanians deported from Ohio and their families. The research was initiated by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance in response to increased deportations of Mauritanians from Ohio during 2018-2020.
The book highlights the significant impact of deportation on individuals who have lived, worked, and raised families in the U.S. for decades. Many interviewees were parents of U.S. citizens, and a majority had family ties in the U.S. The authors argue that deportation, often resulting from changes in immigration policies, can be an extreme punishment for individuals who face persecution in their countries of birth after deportation.
The interviewees, mostly Muslim and Black men, shared their stories through phone and WhatsApp interviews conducted by Maryam Sy. The book covers various ways in which deportees and their families are affected, including forced separation, children taking on adult roles, and the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) linked to the deportation of a parent. The authors also discuss the historical context of Mauritanian deportations, pointing out the rise during the Trump administration's policy changes and the subsequent shifts in guidelines under the Biden administration.
The book is available for free download at www.reunite.us/read.
4 - 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.
DEC 21 - Customs and Border Protection (CBP) saw some of the heaviest arrivals ever of migrants, mostly asylum seekers, at the U.S.-Mexico border during the first three weeks of December. Border Patrol processed about 10,500 migrants on December 19, and 10,800 on December 18. Of the December 18 total, about 40 percent were reportedly families or unaccompanied children. As of Dec 19, CBP had 27,159 migrants in custody nationwide.
JAN 2 - The U.S.-Mexico border in 2023 has been the scene of a surge in migrant deaths, with cases like a woman abandoned by human traffickers, a man dehydrated in Texas heat, and a Honduran man drowning in the Rio Grande. The El Paso Sector reported 148 deaths in fiscal year 2023, nearly doubling the previous year's figure. The crisis, marked by 2.4 million migrant interceptions, has become one of the deadliest, particularly for female victims. The U.N. highlights the region as the deadliest migrant land route, with 686 deaths in 2022, making it the deadliest year in U.N. records. However, concerns arise about underreporting, as official data may be incomplete, and the Mexican consulate in San Diego documented a significant increase in deaths. The humanitarian situation continues to worsen amid a record-setting year for irregular crossings.
JAN 13 - A woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, after U.S. border agents were prevented from responding. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Texas National Guard troops, under Governor Greg Abbott's direction, barred Border Patrol agents from entering a 50-acre city park in response to a distress call from the Mexican government. Representative Henry Cuellar, who represents a border district, stated that Border Patrol's attempts to contact Texas officials were unsuccessful. The Texas Military Department disputed the narrative, claiming they were aware of a distress report but found no migrants needing help. The White House criticized Governor Abbott's actions as "cruel, inhumane, and dangerous." The CBP expressed concern over actions hindering Border Patrol missions. The incident occurred amid a court battle over border access. On January 12, the US Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to rule on whether Texas could continue to block US Border Patrol agents from accessing the border. On January 13, authorities in Mexico recovered the bodies of a woman and two children.
SOURCES
- Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Heavy migration, no Congress deal, Texas law - WOLA
- US-Mexico border records one of its deadliest years ever (msn.com)
- Woman, 2 children die crossing Rio Grande as Border Patrol says Texas troops prevented them from intervening (nbcnews.com)
- https://www.wtoc.com/2024/01/14/us-says-texas-barred-border-agents-entering-park-try-save-3-migrants-who-drowned/
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/
5- Accountability for ‘Gross Violations of Human Rights’ at Open-Air Detention Sites at US-Mexico Border
Seven immigrant rights organizations lodged an urgent federal complaint against the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and its Customs and Border Protection for violating their own custody standards for asylum seekers being held in several open-air detention sites along the US-Mexico border in California. The 88-page complaint was filed by the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), and National Immigration Law Center (NILC) on behalf of Al Otro Lado, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Border Kindness, and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC). This is the second federal complaint filed against the CRCL for violations of human rights for its practices at open-air detention sites, following a complaint from SBCC on May 13, 2023. Following the federal complaints there was at least one person who tragically died while trapped in an open-air detention site.
6- Black Immigrants and the Hidden Injustices of US Immigration Court
“Dystopia, Then Deportation” and “Diaspora Dynamics” are part of an 18-month research project about racism in immigration court and beyond
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance (OHIA) has unveiled the initial outcomes of an 18-month research project led by Dr. Nana Afua Y. Brantuo, PhD, exploring racism and injustices encountered by Black migrants within U.S. immigration courts. The two released products are as follows:
- “Dystopia, Then Deportation: Post-Event Insights and Action Items”: This component summarizes the discussions held at an event co-hosted by OHIA, the Mauritanian Network for Human Rights in the U.S., and Cameroon Advocacy Network. The event focused on the experiences of Black immigrants in immigration court, detention, and the asylum process. The report provides insights into smart, justice-oriented, and creative thinking, incorporating testimonies from Black migrants and input from leaders and experts. The event led to strategy sessions on equitable funding, ethical research, language access, and legal representation. The report offers actionable recommendations that serve as a starting point for ongoing dialogue and collaborative solutions, aiming to move from dystopia towards justice. Recommendations and insights are accessible at http://bit.ly/DystopiaFinal.
- “Diaspora Dynamics: An Annotated Bibliography of Black Migrants’ and Immigrants’ Experiences in the U.S.” This is a comprehensive directory containing more than 80 studies, reports, and analyses spanning 99 years. It covers various aspects of Black migrants’ experiences, including demographic traits, advancement, encounters with racism, immigration law and policy, housing, health, and language access. The bibliography is intended to assist policymakers, scholars, and media professionals in accessing accurate information about Black migrants’ experiences. It can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/3vpxKzp. Furthermore, the bibliography is an initiative to challenge entities such as governments, researchers, philanthropy, the media, and society to prioritize ethical data collection about Black immigrants.
Dr. Nana Afua Y. Brantuo emphasized the challenges faced as a Black immigrant researcher in the U.S., highlighting the constant demand to validate the existence and humanity of the Black immigrant community. The released products are part of a broader research project, sponsored by OHIA, investigating racism in U.S. immigration courts. Additional parts of the research will be shared with the public in the coming weeks, with the complete report, titled “Behind Closed Doors: Black Migrants and the Hidden Injustices of U.S. Immigrant Courts,” set to be published in March 2024. Interested individuals can follow the project at illusionofjustice.org.
7- Fifty Catholic Organizations Urge Senate to Not Restrict Asylum In a letter to the US Senate on January 9, 2024, fifty Catholic religious orders and organizations urged the legislators to preserve the right to asylum for migrants arriving at US borders. They asked for four main points:
1) don’t raise the legal definition of “credible fear”
2) don’t mandatorily detain migrants while they await their asylum hearings
3) don’t expand the use of expedited removal throughout the country, because it would lead to racial profiling and violations of due process protections
4) don’t give the president unbridled authority to close the border/ports of entry
The organizations echoed the US Catholic bishops’ call for a bipartisan process to
comprehensively reform the US immigration system. They point out that deterrence policies will not keep people from migrating to US borders. They remind the senators that what is needed are policies to address the root causes of emigration, including endemic poverty, conflict and persecution, the lack of security, and climate change.
The U.S. Catholic bishops have been vocal proponents of immigration reform for many years. They oppose bills like the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2), which targets organizations serving newcomers . H.R. 2 would prevent faith-based organizations that serve newcomers from receiving any funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including disaster relief and security-related grants. This is based on the belief expressed by several legislators that even offering basic assistance, such as food and water, to anyone, regardless of immigration status, “facilitates or encourages unlawful activity, including unlawful entry.”
Sources
Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns
https://maryknollogc.org/files/pdf/2024-01-09_senate_catholic_sign-on_letter.pdf
https://justiceforimmigrants.org/take-action/
8- Congress Members Call for End to Monroe Doctrine and US Intervention in Latin America
On the 200-year anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine (Dec 21, 2023), five members of the US House of Representatives introduced a resolution calling for the annulment of the policy which has been used to justify US intervention in Latin American affairs for the past two centuries. Its scope was expanded in the early 1900s by President Teddy Roosevelt—his ill-reputed Big Stick Diplomacy.
“For more than 200 years, the United States has used the Monroe Doctrine to justify a paternalistic, damaging approach to relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. As a result, the legacy of our nation’s foreign policy in those regions is political instability, deep poverty, extreme migration, and colonialism. It is well past time we change our approach,” said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), one of the co-sponsors of the bill.
House Resolution 943 calls for:
- The Department of State to formally confirm that the Monroe Doctrine is no longer a part of United States policy toward Latin American and the Caribbean.
- The Federal Government to develop a ‘‘New Good Neighbor’’ policy in place of the Monroe Doctrine.
- Developing a new approach to promoting economic development.
- The termination of all unilateral economic sanctions imposed through Executive orders, and working with Congress to terminate all unilateral sanctions, such as the Cuba embargo, mandated by law.
- New legislation to trigger the suspension of assistance to a government whenever there is an extra-constitutional transfer of power.
- Prompt declassification of all United States Government archives that relate to past coups d’états, dictatorships, and periods in the history of Latin American and Caribbean countries characterized by a high rate of human rights crimes perpetrated by security forces.
- Collaboration with Latin American and Caribbean governments on a far-reaching reform of the Organization of American States.
- Supporting democratic reforms to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and other international financial institutions.
Sources
https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/big-stick-diplomacy/
9- What Mexico’s President Wants in Exchange for Assisting the US with Immigration Enforcement
In late December 2023, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken went to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to ask for greater assistance in stemming migration through Mexico to the US southern border. In a press conference on December 22, President López Obrador called on the U.S. to approve a plan that would deploy $20 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries, suspend the U.S. blockade of Cuba, remove all sanctions against Venezuela and grant at least 10 million Hispanics living in the U.S. the right to remain and work legally. Essentially, Mexico wants the U.S. to show good faith about addressing the root causes of migration by investing more in programs to help Central and South American countries escape poverty.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report that they processed a record 300,000 migrants at the southern US border during December. To bring the numbers down, the Biden administration needs Mexico to let it push more non-Mexican immigrants back across the border, as it was doing through early 2023.
It looks like Mexico is willing to help the US increase enforcement—such as on its southern border with Guatemala—but it wants more financial aid for policing its borders. The US is also asking Mexico to deport more migrants who are apprehended within the country. Mexico and the U.S. recently resumed deportation flights of Venezuelans, one of the two nationalities now trying to cross into the U.S.
Sources
10- Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS) helps asylum seekers become self-sufficient in Cleveland
Since 2019, Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS) has been helping asylum seekers who arrive in Cleveland after journeys from their home countries that are often long, difficult, and frightening. The process asylum seekers face in the United States to obtain work permits and legal status is arduous and can take years. That’s where the all-volunteer, nonprofit AMIS comes in. They “help people make the transition from dependency to self-sufficiency,” said Anne Hill, interim president of AMIS.
AMIS began with a group of neighbors and friends in Cleveland Heights who “felt compelled to get involved with new immigrants, because the rhetoric was so ugly and harsh,” explained Hill.
Their budget in 2023 was $95,000, and they continue to grow each year. Since they cut the first check in August of 2019, they have helped more than 100 individuals and families from 27 countries.
AMIS decided to focus on working with asylum seekers after noticing the gap in support for asylum seekers compared to refugees. Refugees receive government resettlement assistance and work permits, whereas asylum seekers do not.
Vice President of AMIS Bobbi Reichtell told The Land about a group of five women who support a young woman from Guatemala. She got a full scholarship to Beaumont High School but lives where there’s no city bus and no school bus for her. “So, five women take turns, like, one day a week, taking her to school, picking her up from school. All school year,” she said. “It’s amazing what people do.”
Without AMIS, Cleveland’s asylum seekers could end up in shelters, living in their vehicle, or on the streets.
To find out more about AMIS Ohio, volunteering or donating, visit the AMIS Ohio website. https://amisohio.org/
Source
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TAKE ACTION NOW
Now that you are up to date on some of the issues at and around the southern border of the U.S., here are some quick things you can do this week to take action in solidarity with migrants and their families.
A) Tell Congress: The Right to Asylum Is NOT a Bargaining Tool
The White House is currently trying to destroy asylum in exchange for sending billions to Ukraine, Israel, and ICE & CBP. This proposal is extreme, and would risk the lives of migrants and their families fleeing danger. This would be especially disastrous for Haitian asylum seekers. Tell your members of Congress that our government should fund solutions that uphold the humanity and dignity of migrants and protect asylum.
TAKE ACTION
Click here to send a message to your US senators and congressperson.
B) Ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor of HRes943 calling for the end of the Monroe Doctrine
H.Res.943 calls for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine and the development of a New Good Neighbor policy in order to foster improved relations and deeper, more effective cooperation between the United States and our Latin American and Caribbean neighbors. The resolution was introduced 12/19/2023 by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY) and intial co-sponsors: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) Jesus Chuy Garcia (IL), Delia Ramirez (IL), Greg Casar (TX).
TAKE ACTION
Contact your US representative. Ask for the foreign policy legislative aide. Tell them about the resolution and ask the congressperson to sign as a co-sponsor.
C) Tell President Biden to Shut Down Gitmo
January 11 marked 22 years since the creation of the Guantánamo detention center. To mark the anniversary in Cleveland, OH, the InterReligious Task Force on Central America, the Cleveland Catholic Worker, and the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network (together with members of Council on American Islamic Relations) held a vigil at the US federal building. After praying inside the building for 16 political prisoners who have been cleared for release but are still detained, members of the group went upstairs to speak with a staff person in the office US Senator J.D. Vance.
The same day in Washington, DC, 96 organizations delivered a letter to President Biden calling for the end of the Guantánamo prison, while many participated in a vigil outside of the White House.
Both President Obama and President Biden have pledged to close Guantánamo Bay Prison. Biden did transfer 10 prisoners out of the prison since he assumed office, but there are still 30 detainees there, including the 16 who’ve already been cleared for release. Biden has the authority to relocate the prisoners with or without Congress. At the cost of over $500 million dollars a year for only thirty prisoners, Guantanamo is the most expensive prison in the world.
TAKE ACTION
Click here to tell President Biden it is time to fulfill his promise to dismantle Guantanamo, and work to repair this blot on the United States’ conscience.
D) Join a Solidarity Delegation to Panama
The Quixote Center is launching a new solidarity trip to Panama. The dates are March 11-18, 2024, and the deadline to apply is February 1st. Participants will witness conditions along the migratory path as we meet with human rights defenders and asylum seekers. We will visit the Panamanian government's migrant run "reception centers" in the Darién jungle, as well as our partner migrant shelter that serves medically vulnerable people. We will also meet with community and church leaders working on behalf of migrants and learn about their advocacy work.
TAKE ACTION
You can click HERE for the informational flyer to learn more about the trip, and HERE to apply to join the group.
E) Tell Congress: Stop Funding War and Inhumane Migration Policies
From Ukraine to Palestine, El Salvador to the U.S., we all deserve to live in safety and peace. But the current proposals in Congress will lead to more war, more displacement, and more family separation. Please join us in calling on Congress to reject the supplemental funding bill in its entirety. Funding armed conflict and inhumane migration policies only adds to human suffering.
TAKE ACTION
Click here to tell Congress to invest instead in diplomacy, welcoming immigration policies, and human needs at home and abroad.
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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 .
