Cleveland - U.S. Border Patrol agents were caught on camera, charging at Haitian refugees with horses and whips. This brazen inhumanity may have shocked some; others were less surprised, but just as angry. Racism and U.S. imperialism come in many forms. 

On Thursday, September 23, at 2pm, activists, faith leaders, and other community members will gather in downtown Cleveland to commemorate National Migration Week and denounce the Biden administration’s continuation of Trump-era attacks on immigrants.

WHAT: Vigil for National Migration Week and against state violence toward immigrants and refugees

WHO: Speakers include Kareem Henton, Black Lives Matter Cleveland; Rev. Reggie Bunch, Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition; Samantha Montanez, Young Latino Network; Mariely Luengo, Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center; Manny Santiago, New Era Young Lords Ohio Chapter; Pearl Chen, IRTF and OPAWL in solidarity with NAKASEC; Maryam Sy, Ohio Immigrant Alliance; and Don Bryant, Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network; Chrissy Stonebraker-Martinez of the Interreligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia will MC.

WHEN: Thursday, September 23, at 2pm ET

WHERE: Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse (outside)

CONTEXT: A new report from Haitian Bridge Alliance and Human Rights First outlines the tactics used by the Biden administration to keep Haitian people in danger, as well as the fact that the U.S. is responsible for many of the conditions that forced Haitian people (and others) to flee their homes and seek asylum here. 

U.S. imperialism has caused war, occupation, economic devastation, and climate crises in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. The U.S. government has long used the guise of “promoting democracy and freedom” to cover up its ongoing pattern of violent intervention in countries around the world, including overthrowing democratically elected governments and destabilizing entire economies to make the people and the land vulnerable to exploitation by U.S. business interests. And it benefits the U.S. government that many of its citizens have little to no awareness of this history.Despite the militaristic messaging of the Biden administration, people have a legal right to seek asylum, and an international human right to try to save their own lives. All people have inherent human dignity. The Biden administration is clearly and deliberately failing to recognize the human dignity of migrants seeking safety, as well as commitments made in international treaties.

The vigil is co-sponsored by the InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia, Black Lives Matter Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition, Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership, Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, Ohio Immigrant Alliance, Young Latino Network, Julio De Burgos Cultural Arts Center, Avanzamos Unidos, New Era Young Lords-Ohio Chapter, and Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and others. Check the Event page for updates.