To Know the Road

 

El Paso Responds to Migrant Crisis - Congress Not

 

Migrants in El Paso face uncertainty after Supreme Court allows Title 42 to remain in effect amid legal challenges

• DECEMBER 28, 2022
•  FRANCISCANS FOR JUSTICE
• IN IMMIGRATION

By Leyla Santiago, Rosa Flores and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

The future for migrants waiting in El Paso, Texas, after crossing the US-Mexico border remains uncertain following the Supreme Court’s Wednesday decision that allows federal officials to continue expelling migrants before they have received an asylum hearing.

“We were hoping for something else,” said Rosanni Rodríguez, a Venezuelan migrant, when told of the court decision.

Rodriguez huddled with her two children on a chilly El Paso sidewalk on Tuesday, wearing a jacket provided by a local church. She and her children attempted to cross into the US once already, but were sent back to Mexico, where they were robbed and picked up by immigration officials as they slept on the ground of a city plaza, she said.Rodríguez is among the tens of thousands of migrants who have surged to the southern border despite the uncertain future of Title 42, a Trump-era policy which allows US authorities to swiftly return most migrants back across the border.

The controversial order was set to end December 21 but remains in legal limbo after the Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday allowing the policy to remain in effect while legal challenges play out – a process that could stretch out for at least several months.

“They won’t give us the opportunity to be able to cross legally,” said Rodríguez. “That’s what we wanted – to be able to cross legally – but you can’t.”

Several Republican-led states urged the Supreme Court to step in and block a lower court’s decision to terminate the policy. In addition to placing the order’s termination on hold, the court said it would take up the state’s appeal in its upcoming term, which begins in February.

Title 42 was put in place by the Center for Disease Control in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials at the time argued the public health order was intended to curb the spread of Covid-19, but immigration advocates argue the policy is being used to effectively halt immigration at the US-Mexico border.

Dylan Corbett, the executive director of Hope Border Institute that assists with running some of El Paso’s shelters, warned Tuesday that he expects the Supreme Court decision “will extend the bottleneck at the border, create unsustainable pressure on border enforcement and lead to more deaths.”

Supreme Court Republican Judges Leave Title 42 in Place

 Migrant Expulsion Policy Must Stay in Place for Now, Supreme Court Says. NYT.

The temporary stay in lifting the pandemic rule known as Title 42 is a provisional victory for 19 states, led mostly by Republicans, that had sought to keep it in place on the border.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said on Tuesday that a pandemic-era health measure that restricted migration at the southern border would remain in place for the time being, delaying the potential for a huge increase in unlawful crossings.

In a brief unsigned order, the justices halted a trial judge’s ruling that would have lifted the measure, known as Title 42, which has allowed even migrants who might otherwise qualify for asylum to be swiftly expelled at the border.

The court said that it would hear arguments in the case in February and that the stay would remain in place pending a ruling. The justices said they would address only the question of whether the 19 mainly Republican-led states that had sought the stay could pursue their challenge to the measure.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil M. Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.

The White House indicated that it would comply with the Supreme Court’s order and prepare for its review. “At the same time, we are advancing our preparations to manage the border in a secure, orderly and humane way when Title 42 eventually lifts and will continue expanding legal pathways for immigration,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said. 

Note: Title 42 was established because the Trump Administration said there was a health crisis at the border. Covid. 

 

 

Migrants, Humans in Need.

Migrant children in El Paso, Texas. 

Migrants in El Paso: Humans in Need, Not an invasion 

On this December 18, International Migrants Day we recommit our efforts to amplify the voices of those seeking refuge and asylum at our borders and redouble our support to those human rights defenders at the U.S.-Mexico border. From the editors

Over the weekend (December 9,10) the El Paso Sector experienced a major surge in illegal crossings, with a 3-day average of 2,460 daily encounters, primarily through the downtown area of El Paso. CNN

Español: https://tribunodelpueblo.org/migrantes-en-el-paso-son-humanos-sr-abbot-no-invasores/ 

The Crisis on the Southern Border

 

On International Migrants' Day, NNIRR calls for immediate humanitarian assistance and human rights commitments to the increasing number of migrants and asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. Dear Duane: El Paso, Texas. As we commemorate International Migrants' Day today, the El Paso border region is immersed in a humanitarian and protection crisis. Thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers are arriving each day in the Paso del Norte region in search of safety, escaping from economic and political violence, and seeking to reunite with their families. They are primarily from Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Ecuador – countries that have been beset by recurring social and economic disasters. With the Covid-era Title 42 set to end in a few days, we urge the Biden Administration to reinstate real commitments and guarantee the right to seek asylum at the border. This must include infusing resources to support refugees, asylum-seekers, trafficked persons, and other migrants in vulnerable situations. We must ensure immediate access to food, shelter, healthcare, and other life-saving services.  Since last week, migrants have converged under the Santa Fe bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez with El Paso, Texas.  They are dangerously crossing freeways and waiting in long lines, in severe weather conditions, to turn themselves over to Border Patrol officers. Shelters are at capacity, and people are being released onto the streets without sweaters, blankets, or identifications. Most urgently, they need food and water, warm clothing, information, and resources to cover vital expenses such as paying for safe places to sleep. In the face of this crisis, the Texas Governor has announced that his administration will begin targeting the El Paso community organizations that provide humanitarian aid like shelter, food, and legal services –essentially persecuting those helping to facilitate compliance with international human rights obligations. These attempts to “criminalize” and intimidate local organizations and undermine their humanitarian efforts are part of a cynical part of his strategy to enforce more restrictive border policies and normalize dangerous and xenophobic narratives that threaten human rights activism in the United States. All at the cost of the lives of migrants, asylum seekers, and their families.  We need immediate action at multiple levels – not promises that can be bureaucratically tied up for weeks and months. We urge the Biden Administration to delay no further and to work with city officials, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to put in place  supports for safe, orderly, and dignified reception of migrants and asylum seekers that includes the following: Set up offices for processing claims in the main ports of entry to guarantee orderly and efficient access to asylum procedures and the principle of non-refoulment. Create a photo ID for provisional documentation that confirms and acknowledges the individual’s intent to seek asylum in the US while their case is pending. Coordinate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist with reception and referral procedures. Ensure immediate rights-based and gender-sensitive access to medical care. Ensure protection from retribution for civil society organizations and human rights defenders who assist migrants in distress, providing shelter, aid, food,  water, and other assistance.  Finally, it is time to take a holistic approach to migration by creating pathways for regular migration. Long-term and rights-respecting options for migration are urgently needed to address the adverse drivers of migration and prevent more tragedies for people on the move.   Please support our response efforts on the ground. Donate to NNIRR here. We need your support and solidarity more than ever. NNIRR. Donate to NNIRR today! TWEET STORM for #InternationalMigrantsDay Join NNIRR and our partners for a tweet storm today for #InternationalMigrantsDay by donating or by tweeting or retweeting our messages. Suggested tweets: This #InternationalMigrantsDay, we remember the migrants who’ve perished in search of safety and a better future. To prevent more deaths, I’m urging @POTUS to make asylum accessible and safe for all people. #RestoreAsylumNow #4RightsatBorders On #InternationalMigrantsDay, we remind @POTUS of his domestic and international obligations to protect the human rights of all children and guarantee due process within the immigration system. It’s time #4RightsatBorders and to ##StandUp4Migrants On #InternationalMigrantsDay, we’re calling on @POTUS to protect the rights of Indigenous, Black, and all migrants at the border. #RestoreAsylumNow #StandUp4Migrants

Support NNIRR! And as 2022 comes to a close, we hope you will take another quick action and support NNIRR in your year-end giving. We rely on grassroots donations to fuel our work for human rights! Please give a gift today. You can become a sustainer or give a one-time donation. Every contribution makes a difference. We are deeply grateful for your solidarity and partnership. Donate to NNIRR today!

The Reality Check: ILL HARVEST: TREATING FARMWORKERS ON THEIR TERMS

The Reality Check: ILL HARVEST: TREATING FARMWORKERS ON THEIR TERMS:  ILL HARVEST TREATING FARMWORKERS ON THEIR TERMS For California's indigenous farmworker population, healthcare that respects their tradi...

Farm workers need legal status NOW.

Congress: Farm workers need legal status NOW Farm workers across America are pushing Congress togive farm workers legal status before the end of the year. Farm workers have proven themselves essential to America's communities, economy and food supply over and over again - putting their lives at risk to keep America fed.  Giving the farm workers who feed us the legal status they have earned is crucial to America's food security. Given the result of the midterms, this lame duck session is the last shot to get something done for farm workers before the House of Representatives falls into Republican hands. We need Congress to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act NOW.   The week before Thanksgiving, 19-year Mairi, a farm worker from Delano, California, came to Washington D.C. to ask Congress to act. Her parents, also farm workers, are undocumented and need Congress to pass legislation before the end of the year. Below is some of what Mairi told Members of Congress during her first trip to our nation's capital.  "I've been working in the fields since I was 12 years old," said Mairi. "Undocumented farm workers live with constant fear of being separated from their families. A few years ago, my neighbors were on their way to work when they were followed by ICE. They were scared of being separated from their family, so they drove away and ended up crashing and passing away. They left 6 kids behind, the youngest being 6 years old."  Mairi is referring to the 2018 deaths of two farm workers - Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Profecto  - who were killed during a high-speed pursuit by ICE agents after dropping their teenage daughter off at school. As long as farm workers live without legal status, they will be vulnerable to exploitation and intimidation on the job - and tragedies like the deaths of Mairi's neighbors will continue. Congress must act before it's too late. "Farm workers deserve to be legalized," said Mairi. "They are essential workers who deserve to be recognized."   Please join the UFW in telling Congress that farm workers deserve legal status. We need our friends and allies across the nation to be ready to help us get the Farm Workforce Modernization Act across the finish line. Can we count on you? Sign the pledge today.

 

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