Release: LUPE Demands Biden Welcome Haitian Migrants with Dignity

September 22, 2021

“How we treat Black immigrants at the border defines the character of our nation.”

SAN JUAN, TX – La Unión del Pueblo Entero denounces the violence of Border Patrol and DHS in Del Rio against Black immigrants. The white supremacy on horseback is matched in its heinousness by the mass deportation flights of hundreds of Haitians, including children under three years of age.

LUPE is joining in solidarity with Haitian Bridge Alliance and Black Alliance for Just Immigration to demand that President Biden welcome with dignity Haitians and other Black immigrants at the border.

Daniel Diaz, director of organizing for La Unión del Pueblo Entero, said:

“How we treat Black immigrants at the border defines the character of our nation. Are we going to be a nation that tramples Black immigrants seeking refuge? One that loads Black immigrants on to planes to mass deport them to countries reeling from political and natural disasters? Or are we going to live up to our ideal of being a shining beacon of hope for the world?

“President Biden must welcome Haitians and other Black immigrants with dignity. He himself has vowed to move our nation closer to an America that is worthy of immigrant’s aspirations. Our immigration policies and processes must reflect the welcoming values of border communities. We can only do that by uprooting white supremacy and anti-Black racism in our immigration system.

“Black leaders are calling on President Biden to halt deportations of Haitian immigrants. He must take immediate action to protect them and their access to asylum. If he continues to mass deport Black immigrants, Mr. Biden will own the white supremacy on full display in Del Rio.”

President Biden has the tools to welcome Black migrants with dignity. The Biden-Harris administration must end forcible deportations under Title 42, grant humanitarian parole, end the practice of metering, sideline Border Patrol, and mobilize welcome centers to the border to provide asylum seekers access to asylum experts, child welfare professionals, and humanitarian aid.

Take Action:

Donate to Haitian Bridge Alliance to support their work on the ground in Del Rio and Reynosa.

Donate to support The Sidewalk School‘s rapid response work with Haitian migrants in Reynosa.

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LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders Cesar E. Chavez and Dolores Huerta. We are a membership-based organization and our strength is found in the participation of our over eight thousand members.