Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Denounce Inhumane Treatment of Haitians at U.S. Border

September 24, 2021

The foremost multi-racial coalition of racial equity organizations in the nation condemns the brutal and inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants at the border. The searing image of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents snapping their whips from above while their horses charged at vulnerable Haitian immigrants seeking refuge transported us back to America’s dark past of slave patrols and history of oppressive practices against Black people. As civil rights and social justice organizations, we condemn this treatment and urge respect for human rights.

This treatment is simply unacceptable and violates any standard of civil and human rights and liberty. We demand the Administration:

Heed the recommendations by Black civil rights and racial justice leaders in this letter sent to your administration on September 21, 2021,
Terminate the CBP agents in question,
Cease and desist deportation flights,
Grant Enhanced TPS for Haitians, and;
Replace egregious CBP practices with a humanitarian approach that prioritizes the well-being and dignity of all.

These actions do not represent the America we strive to be, but tragically, they do represent part of the America we are today. And we need to do better.

# # #

The Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative includes the following leading national organizations (the Anchors): Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward, and UnidosUS. Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we work together to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families, and communities have opportunities to reach their full potential.