Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) visited the U.S. – Mexico border last Friday in response to reports of mistreatment of Black immigrants. A Cameroonian asylum seeker named Neane Abienwi died in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on October 1, 2019.
Abienwi arrived at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on September 5, requesting asylum. On September 19 he was sent to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, where he experienced a hypertensive event. He was transported to the Sharp Chula Medical Center on Sept. 26 and after undergoing treatment for a brain hemorrhage, he was later taken off life support against his family’s wishes.
In a statement, officials at ICE said they’re still in the process of reviewing Abienwi’s death. According to various published reports, the Department of Homeland Security records had revealed that Abienwi applied for admission into the country at the San Ysidro Port of Entry without proper paperwork.
“Thousands of African and Caribbean immigrants who immigrate to the United States of America are treated as if they are invisible,” said CBC Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37). “Many arrived in South America and then walked north, all to be dehumanized and mistreated at our southern border.”
According to the Pew Research Center, there are 4.2 million Black immigrants in the U.S. Immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America are at a higher risk for arrest, detention and abuse because of racial profiling and racial bias.
“This happens as our country grapples with [a president] who makes it clear that he welcomes immigrants from places like Norway, but not ‘sh-thole” countries,” Bass said at the border. “International law states that if you are from a country that’s experiencing distress, you can request asylum. Trump has done everything he can to block that and to make the United States not compliant with international law.”
A delegation of CBC members crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico and met with a group of Black immigrants from Cameroon, Sierra Leone and other African countries.
“We need to shed some light on what is taking place here as it relates to the Black immigrants form the Caribbean and Africa, said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), who joined Bass in the delegation. “Black America has to rise up. This has got to stop.”
Bass, who is also the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, hosted a hearing in San Ysidro.
“How is it that some of the poorest nations around the world can take in people in crisis,” Bass said. “What can we learn from these countries?”
The Congressional Black Caucus was established in 1971 and has an historic 55 members for the 116th Congress, including two senators. The Caucus represents more than 82 million Americans.
