This week in immigration news – October 20, 2021
Haiti faces disasters and chaos. Its people are most likely to be denied U.S. asylum
Haitian migrants speak out about the conditions that led them to leave their homes, painting a grim picture of a country that has been destabilized by a recent earthquake and political instability.
Meanwhile, advocates are pushing back on the Biden administration, especially after Homeland Secretary Mayorkas said that the administration determined Haiti to be safe, despite a travel warning for U.S. citizens.
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Immigrants push for better working conditions that were made worse by the pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, many immigrants worked dangerous jobs, dealing with both the threat of getting sick with COVID-19 and natural disasters like Hurricane Ida. Now, some are starting to organize to push for better working conditions.
For example, delivery bikers recently organized—using the name Los Deliveristas Unidos—they were able to push back against UberEats and GrubHub, who rely on their work. They won several victories, including the right to use the bathroom when picking up an order.
Trump Defense chief blocked idea to send 250,000 troops to border: report
Stephen Miller, senior advisor during the Trump administration, reportedly proposed to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper that 250,000 troops be deployed to the border in 2020. The plan was allegedly rejected by the secretary and never presented to former President Trump.
Demonstrators in Miami were arrested this week protesting for a pathway to citizenship. A portion of the demonstrators’ demands included calling on Vice President Kamala Harris to overrule the Senate parliamentarian, who recently ruled that a pathway to citizenship cannot be included in a budget reconciliation vote, which would be able to pass the Senate with a simple majority and no Republican votes.
They also called for the end of Title 42, which uses the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to deport migrants back to their home countries.
