By Rena Abdusalam
LOS ANGELES, CA – Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), an Indigenous women-led non-profit organization that works jointly with Indigenous communities, denounced federal and local anti-migration policies that will continue to criminalize displaced migrant individuals and communities fleeing their nations.
Florida’s SB 1718, one example of these bad migration laws, will take effect on July 1, said CIELO, noting the law is set to enlarge immigrant criminalization by shutting down access to work, health and security spaces.
Additionally, Title 42’s end and Title 8’s reintroduction is set to criminalize people at the border and those residing in the country without documentation while putting many in dangerous situations, said CIELO.
“As a human rights organization, we are concerned about misinformation circulating around Title 42 and the reintroduction of Title 8 in its wake,” said CIELO. “We want to stress that its ending does not mean the border has become an ‘open door.’”
“With the reintroduction of Title 8, the possibility of express deportation and criminal charges for those crossing the border has increased, according to the Interim Subcommittee on Immigration. Asylum application rules will also be stricter,” CIELO charged.
CIELO appealed for “local and federal institutions to produce pertinent information in indigenous languages to prevent misinformation from spreading and to also ensure equitable access to vital information.”
CIELO added, “With the establishment of Regional Centers to expedite refugee cases, authorities should ensure the presence of an indigenous interpreter during the process to ensure that people seeking refuge are made aware of their rights,”
CIELO said, “Alternatives to the CBP ONE app need to be offered given that it is not inclusive to Indigenous people, since the application’s information is not available in Indigenous languages and not everyone has access to a smartphone.”
