House Democrats are urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address civil rights violations that Black Mauritanians are encountering at the U.S. border.
U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., told theGrio that “an immediate policy change” to the U.S. immigration system is “necessary.”
“People in need have the right to seek asylum in our nation,” said Clarke. “We have a moral obligation not to inflict further punishment on them only for exercising that right.”
Clarke is leading the effort to enforce civil rights protections for Black Mauritanians seeking asylum in the U.S. and drafted a letter to the DHS asking the department to intervene in unfair immigration practices that harm Black Mauritanians. The letter is signed by 19 other House Democrats, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
The letter details how Mauritanians “fled state-sanctioned violence and discrimination yet are being subjected to unnecessary detainment.”
“All while lacking the language access they need to have a fair chance of seeking protection in the United States,” the letter reads.
Som-Mai Nguyen, an immigration attorney, is currently litigating a case where her client, a Mauritanian national, was unrepresented and initially denied asylum because he was incapable of submitting an asylum form. The form was in English. However, Nguyen’s client speaks only Pulaar and French and cannot read or write in any language. He was then ordered to be deported for his failure to complete the form, although he was not given access to language services while he was detained.
Nguyen learned of her client’s case and was able to reverse his deportation judgment, and now he has the opportunity to apply for asylum. She said her client is seeking asylum “because he’s politically active in Mauritania.”
“He attended a protest for Black Mauritanians, was arrested and…
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