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The Biden Administration has ordered ICE to pause deportation removals for 100 days until May 2, 2021. Although Biden’s deportation moratorium has been temporarily stalled by a Texas judge, we’ll continue to call for urgent releases of individuals during Biden’s first 100 days in office. ICE has a gross history of medical negligence, poor living conditions, and is known to be a super-spreader of COVID-19. Despite this order and the pandemic, ICE continues to cruelly detain and arrest people.
- Further, Biden’s orders allow ICE to arrest immigrants who have completed their time in jails and prisons, people who have a previous “aggravated felony,” and those who are deemed to be a “threat to public safety.” These orders are problematic and perpetuate racism for a variety reasons:
- Immigration law’s interpretation of “aggravated felony” is vast and flawed. Even so, we call for the freedom of everyone, no matter their background. People are more than their records.
- ICE believes everyone coming out of jails and prisons is a threat to public safety and practices zero discretion.
- ICE detention, prisons, and jails target Black, indigenous and people of color who are often poor, disabled, survivors, and/or queer. Releasing loved ones to their communities is essential to the health and survival of our most vulnerable people.
Because Biden’s instructions to ICE prioritizes arrests for the majority of immigrants who’ve just completed their time in jails and prisons, we must also put pressure at the local and state level to ensure immigrants are not funneled into ICE custody. Some actions below demand state elected officials like Gov. Newsom to #StopICEtransfers as part of our actions to free people from ICE. If you’re supporting someone in ICE detention and would like to add them to this list, please fill out this form. For other inquiries, email Asian Prisoner Support Committee – hien@asianprisonersupport.org
