Celebrating Black immigrants during Black History Month

February is Black History Month. We're taking the opportunity to recognize and confront anti-Blackness in immigration policy and within the immigration movement. Follow us on social media where we'll be sharing content throughout the month to celebrate Black immigrants and amplifying the voices of Black leaders in the immigration movement.

Communities continue to demand freedom for people still detained in Illinois

Community members gathered at the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Chicago Field Office to demand that ICE release everyone still detained in Illinois as the last two county ICE contracts end this month. People still in custody should be allowed to reunite with their families and communities and pursue their immigration cases outside of jail cells, not be transferred to inhumane detention conditions in other states.

IN THE NEWS: WBEZ Chicago covered the demonstration and featured NIJC's Lisa Chun.

ON SOCIAL: Watch the Facebook Live of the press conference.

Potential vaccination requirement for asylum seekers is problematic

The Biden administration may require proof of vaccination for people seeking asylum who are entering the United States. Vaccine requirements do not comply with U.S. and international asylum law, and as we know, vaccines are not equally available across the world to everyone. Check out our fact sheet explaining why requiring that migrants are vaccinated to enter the U.S. is a problem.

See our graphic series on Instagram diving deeper into vaccine requirements for migrants.

Family separation still happens every day

Recently, the Biden administration asked the public to weigh in on ways the U.S. government can minimize the separation of migrant families after the disastrous Trump-era Zero-Tolerance border policy. But the reality is families suffered separations well before the prior administration and continue to suffer from separations because of deterrence programs championed by the Biden administration. Today, these policies play out across the border and in the interior, pulling families apart and destroying communities. Read more.

See our graphic series on Instagram about how family separation happens right now.

WATCH: During our latest Policy Corner, NIJC's policy experts talked about current U.S. immigration policies that separate and harm families.

Three years of the Remain in Mexico program

Three years ago, the Trump administration began the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as MPP or “Remain in Mexico.” Through this cruel program, U.S. government officials force people seeking refuge at the border to wait in dangerous conditions in Mexico while their case proceeds in court in the United States. The Biden administration initially terminated MPP, then subsequently reinstated and expanded the deadly program, all but ensuring the continuation of systemic harms and violence. Read more about the dangers faced by people stuck in MPP.

See our graphic series on Instagram about the expansion of Remain in Mexico.

Biden admin must keep promise to end collusion between local police and ICE

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas recently called on local law enforcement agencies to assist DHS in the enforcement of federal civil immigration law. His comments betray the administration’s commitment to disentangle local police from immigration enforcement and oppose demands from communities who have passed sanctuary laws and protections. Federal-local ICE entanglement programs turn local police into a gateway to deportation, co-opt local resources into questionable, racially discriminatory purposes, and strip communities of safety and public trust. Read more.