Photos: YouTube Screenshots
New York, NY— In the past week, President Biden has put forth two anti-immigrant proposals that will target, incarcerate and abandon Black and brown migrants — one expands the criminalization of migrants at the border and the other guts long-standing asylum protections. Rosa Santana, the co-executive Director of Envision Freedom Fund, has released the following statement in response to Biden’s agenda:
“We are outraged and disappointed to see that President Biden is continuing to use his presidential power to push forward racist immigration policies. The expansion of criminal prosecutions for immigration violations at the border will not create safety in the United States. It will only lead to the mass incarceration, surveillance and deportation of migrants who have made a treacherous journey to the United States in search of safety and stability. This policy is just another attempt to commodify migrant lives and profit off of their suffering. Biden’s plan will fill inhumane immigration detention centers and expand the pain and chaos of family separation. Similarly, Biden’s expected Executive Order to seal the border at his whim and suspend asylum protections is a gross violation of human rights. Immigrants, particularly those seeking asylum, deserve safety, protection and freedom when they are met at our border. Biden’s Trumpian policies are a sad political play to appease right-wing voters that will have devastating consequences on the well-being and safety of Black and brown migrants. At Envision Freedom Fund, we will continue to fight for the protection and dignity of our communities.”
Envision Freedom Fund (formerly Brooklyn Community Bail Fund) works alongside impacted communities to dismantle the oppressive and interconnected criminal legal and immigration systems. With freedom as our guiding principle, we invest in innovative campaigns and programs that aim to win long-term, transformative change, while meeting the urgent needs of community members in the present.
