Lina Francis, lina.francis@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. - This week, images were released of Customs and Border Patrol agents physically abusing Haitian families on the banks of the Rio Grande at the Southern border. Currently, there are more than 15,000 migrants being held for processing in a makeshift camp under the Del Rio International Bridge, where they are being forced to endure sweltering heat with no access to clean, running water. Many of these migrants, who are fleeing political and economic crises and the cumulative impacts of natural disasters, are being deported or expelled from the US without being allowed to claim asylum. Seeking asylum is a legal right that is recognized in both international and US federal law.
In response, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz released the following statement:
“Racial justice is climate justice. While systemic racism continues to terrorize Black and Brown people, the same systems of oppression are actively endorsing unfettered extraction and degrading our shared humanity. The Border Patrol’s actions, with their clear echoes of slavery, are evidence that racism and anti-Blackness have been allowed to fester within our immigration system for far too long.
“We cannot be silent in the face of the abuse and denial of due process faced by refugees fleeing from poverty, instability, and natural disasters. The Sierra Club is committed to fighting for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice. We join our allies to demand that the Biden administration keep its promises to make our immigration system fairer and more humane. We are calling on them to hold the Border Patrol accountable for its abusive conduct, and offer Haitians safety and refuge, not deportations and expulsions.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.