RJM has joined this coalition of organizations led by Alianza Americas, Haitian-Americans United, the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti and Lawyers for Civil Rights in urgently requesting the IACHR to hear in a thematic hearing and investigate on both sides of the border this unjust panorama of repression and abuses.

We share the text prepared by our colleagues at Lawyers for Civil Rights.

January 20, 2022

Washington, D.C.

A diverse coalition of one hundred (100) organizations from the United States and Latin America filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ("IACHR" or "the Commission") detailing abuses committed by the U.S. government against Haitian and Central American refugees at the border. The petition requests the Commission's intervention.

Lawyers for Civil Rights and its allies filed the petition yesterday on behalf of Alianza Americas, Haitian-Americans United, and dozens of other national and international organizations, faith-based and secular community groups, academic and cultural institutions, immigrant rights advocates, women's rights advocates, indigenous groups, LGBTQ+ leaders, and public health advocates.

The petition requests an investigative hearing and urges the Commission to visit both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to observe and document human rights abuses at the hands of U.S. officials.

The petition gathers alarming and heartbreaking accounts from survivors of U.S. government abuses at the border:

• Families are being denied access to medical care.
• Pregnant women are deprived of medical care even after suffering severe illnesses, leading to at least one miscarriage.
• Immigrants are released from U.S. custody without medication for HIV or other chronic conditions.
• Families, including those with young children and toddlers, are being denied access to food, water, hygiene products and sanitation.
• Migrants have been exposed to COVID-19 along with the failure to provide masks, face masks, and vaccinations.

The petition also highlights systemic barriers to justice, including discrimination and linguistic exclusion, lack of consular access, and the absence of protections for refugees fleeing persecution and violence. All of these abuses, at the hands of U.S. officials, constitute serious violations of rights under U.S. and international law.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Commission (IACHR) is a key part of the Organization of American States ("OAS"), which promotes peace and justice in 35 countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Commission has played a key role in investigating and exposing human rights abuses, including the illegal U.S. interdiction of Haitian refugees in the 1980s. As human rights violations persist, it is urgent that the Commission address the latest iteration of abuses committed by the United States.

"The current border crisis reveals abusive practices against asylum seekers and other migrants. The continued mistreatment of these vulnerable populations, particularly Central Americans and Haitians, confirms that the U.S. immigration system is broken. We call for immediate change and stronger protections," said Oscar Chacón, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Alianza Americas.

"The violence at the U.S. border reflects racism and discrimination. Instead of punishing people, we need to protect them. Haitians and other immigrants deserve U.S. help and protections," said Rev. Dieufort Fleurissaint of Haitians-Americans United.

"The U.S. government has failed to control racism and abuses at the southern border. We need international oversight because the U.S. government has failed to police itself. The U.S. government must be held accountable," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights.

Source: Red Jesuita con Migrantes