Take Action for Human Rights

URGENT: STOP IMMINENT DEPORTATIONS OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES

BREAKING: We’ve just received devastating news that early tomorrow morning, families seeking asylum in the South Texas Family Residential Center will likely be deported.

HELP US STOP THIS » Urge Acting Director of Homeland Security David Pekoske to immediately halt the deportations of parents and their children.

Background: Effective February 1, the Biden administration announced new enforcement priorities for who should be considered for detention and deportation. These children and families don’t fall under those priorities, yet their deportation is still scheduled. It doesn’t make sense — and it’s wrong.

As we write, ICE has been rushing as many deportations as it can. In addition to these children and families facing deportation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already deported and plans to deport more Black asylum-seekers from the United States that also do not fall under the enforcement priorities.

This administration is making moves away from the anti-immigrant policies of the past, but it also must leave behind the racist and unfair treatment of people seeking safety, and move toward a more just and humane immigration system. All people seeking safety should be protected — not deported.

We have an extremely limited window of time: Urge Acting Director Pekoske to halt these imminent deportations immediately, and take steps to ensure families remain together and free in the United States.

⬇ Make Your Voice Heard ⬇

Acting DHS Director

David

Peskoske

DHS

Acting ICE Director

Tae

Johnson

ICE

Acting DHS Director

David

Pekoske

DHS

Field Office Director

Jose

Correa

ICE

Dear Acting DHS Director Pekoske, Acting ICE Director Johnson, and Field Office Director Correa,

I write to urge the Department to immediately halt the deportations of asylum seeking parents and their children this week from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. Children and families are not immigraton enforcement priorities for removal under the Pekoske Memo. As this administration moves away from the anti-immigrant policies of the past, we call on the Department to take immediate steps to ensure these families remain together and free in the United States.

These parents and their children, some as young as three years old, face deportation to the countries from which they are seeking asylum after the prior administration sought to deny them protection based on unlawful and anti-refugee policies, such as the Third Country Asylum Transit Ban. Despite federal courts ruling the underlying policies were unlawful, these families have remained detained for up to 18 months and now face return to harm.

Deporting these families is not only a violation of the United States’ obligation of non-refoulement but also serves no Departmental purpose, as they are not priorities for removal, per your recent memorandum of January 20, 2021. The Pekoske Memo set forth the Department’s interim enforcement priorities, pending a full review of DHS policies and practices on immigration enforcement. Those priorities include individuals who (1) present a threat to national security; (2) were apprehended while attempting to enter without inspection after November 1, 2020 or who were not physically present in the United States on November 1; or (3) were convicted of an aggravated felony and present a threat to public safety. Despite a recent court ruling enjoining the “Immediate 100-Day Pause on Removals” articulated in section C of that memorandum, the interim enforcement priorities went into effect today.

These asylum-seeking families, currently in your custody, fall outside of the Pekoske Memo’s priorities, warranting the immediate halt of their deportations and their release from detention so that they may seek asylum safely within the community.  Similarly, this week the Department has deported and plans to deport many Black asylum seekers from the United States that fall nowhere in the priorities listed in the Pekoske Memo. Such Departmental actions run in direct contradiction of current guidance and target those most vulnerable within DHS custody. I call upon DHS to leave behind the racist and unfair treatment of those seeking our help, as we move towards a more just and humane system of immigration.

I urge the Department to ensure the safety of these children and their parents by immediately halting their deportations and releasing them from detention so that they can seek asylum free and together as a family in the United States. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Address 1

City

State

Postcode

Country

Phone Number

Amnesty Action Alerts & Updates — I would like to receive emails about urgent human rights campaigns and victories.