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Statement

Deportations to Haiti are Cruel and Must Be Halted

September 21, 2021
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Xochitl Oseguera, Vice President of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, and its Spanish-language community, MamásConPoder, on the deportation flights to Haiti that began last weekend:

“We were shaken and deeply disturbed by the video of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback attacking asylum-seekers, including a child, in Texas yesterday. And we are profoundly saddened that our government is deporting asylum-seeking families to Haiti at this time when a crippling earthquake, destructive tropical storm, and deep-seated political unrest have created a massive humanitarian crisis there. There is no question that Haiti is not safe right now. The country is experiencing massive suffering, loss of life, displacement, homelessness, and a health care crisis.

“We are especially concerned that no children be deported to such unsafe conditions, and that all families seeking asylum be allowed to remain together. The Biden administration was right to extend Temporary Protected Status to Haitians until early 2023 – but the deportations must stop as well. Using Title 42 to try to validate deportations is as indefensible now as it was when the Trump administration did so.

“All deportations to Haiti should be halted immediately. America’s moms want every immigrant and every asylum-seeker to be treated with compassion, dignity and respect. Our country is not doing that now.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.