New York, NY-Since February 1st, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported roughly 300 Haitians, with another shameful 1800 deportations expected in the next two weeks. ICE’s aggressive approach is in line with the Trump-era policy of targeting Black migrants. Advocates are demanding the immediate intervention from the Biden White House.
“It’s no surprise that ICE kicked off Black History Month by terrorizing Black immigrants and tearing apart their families,” said Murad Awawdeh and Rovika Rajkishun, Interim Co-Executive Directors of the New York Immigration Coalition. “After all, this is the same agency that recklessly opened fire on a Brooklyn street and snatched up immigrant New Yorkers outside courthouses, schools, and off the street. Taking their cue from Trump’s contempt for Black and immigrant communities, this week’s actions prove that ICE is thumbing its nose at President Biden’s executive orders and directives by continuing its mass deportation agenda. But the Trump-era is over, and the Biden administration must rein in this rogue agency. As the organization representing the state with one of the oldest and largest Haitian communities in the country, the New York Immigration Coalition demands that President Biden immediately end these deportation flights to keep New York families together, especially during a public health crisis.”
“There is no reason that the Biden Administration should allow these deportations to continue.” said Robert Agyemang, NY Director of African Communities Together. "Just a couple weeks ago, we heralded the Biden-Harris administrations’ leadership and celebrated their promise to halt deportations. We celebrated their courage to reverse course from oppressive and hateful treatment of Black immigrants. And yet, we see 300 of our Haitian brothers and sisters deported with another 1800 on the way, who are fearfully anticipating their separation from their families. This is the time we need them to step in show their leadership, and lead. We call upon President Biden to step in stop these inhumane actions from ICE."
"We at Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees are outraged by the discriminatory deportations that continue to be carried out by ICE amid a global pandemic, while there is serious political crisis in Haiti, and a surge in kidnapping terrorism by government-backed gangs,” said Ninaj Raoul, Executive Director, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees. “In the same week that President Biden signed an executive order to launch a task force to reunite families separated by the Trump administration, this White House is deporting Haitians including children and infants in record numbers. This is a cruel contradiction that will further separate many families. It is simply careless and inhumane to deport individuals to Haiti, knowingly putting innocent people who have migrated to survive in harm’s way. These deportations are wrongheaded, and current plans to deport 1800 more Haitians to Haiti in the next two weeks must be stopped now."