Today, the UndocuBlack Network together with African Communities Together, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Cameroon Advocacy Network, Ohio Immigrant Alliance, and allies will mark the second annual Black Immigrant Advocacy Day on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.
Advocates and allies will mark this year’s advocacy day and this Black History Month by holding a Day of Action calling for justice and permanent solutions for Black immigrants.
The day of action will include a rally at the White House in support of the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonians, twitterstorm, prayer sessions, webinar and directing efforts to a fundraising goal to donate to the Black Immigrants Bail Fund, an organization committed to eradicating the mass incarceration of Black immigrants and level the playing field of equity in due process, transforming one life at a time.
Advocates plan to use this day to highlight the situation in Cameroon, which is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis and internal armed conflict characterized by massive internal displacement, state-sponsored violence and war crimes. Also critical shortages of essentials including water, food, housing and healthcare. These conditions make safe return to Cameroon impossible, and advocates are urging the government to act immediately to extend protection from deportation to Cameroonians living in the U.S.
Among the actions lined up for the day, is uplifting the work of Black Mauritanian leaders in the United States and call for justice for Black Mauritanians (currently faced with slavery, human trafficking, arbitrary arrest and more) in both domestic and foreign policy. Throughout this Black History Month and beyond, advocates want to highlight the ongoing mistreatment and expulsions of Black immigrants, refugees and asylees who are coming to the U.S. seeking safety and to urge the Biden administration to welcome Black asylum seekers and to do so while honoring their dignity and humanity.
Black lives are often overlooked in immigration spaces due to the anti-Blackness and racism embedded in the American system and immigration policies and as such Black-led advocates and allies have been calling on the Biden administration to use TPS broadly and boldly to protect Black immigrants and to alienate his administration from the punitive and harmful immigration policies and system that is deeply rooted in anti-Blackness and racism that is a reflection of the criminal legal system. Temporary Protected Status is an essential tool of humanitarian blanket protection that catches those who may fall through the cracks of a system infused with bias and racism.
Take action this Black History Month in solidarity with Black immigrants by joining Black Immigrant Advocacy Day of Action to demand justice for Black immigrants.
