Washington, D.C. – As President Biden delivered his State of the Union address, calling for increased surveillance at the U.S.-Mexico border and funding for local and federal enforcement, it remains clear he has failed to humanely address the state of Black, brown and immigrant communities who he vowed to protect with now over 2 million people detained, deported and expelled since the start of his administration.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream, said:
“With deportations and expulsions continuing to climb, there’s no hiding the racial injustice the Biden administration continues to carry out against Black, brown and immigrant communities every single day. Just tonight, President Biden called for increased surveillance along the U.S-Mexico border, despite overwhelming evidence and testimonies from our communities that prove time and again the harmful, deadly effects of surveillance technology that perpetuates violence at the hands of ICE and CBP.
Despite President Biden’s ongoing failure to enact our communities’ clear moral vision – including by delivering a pathway to citizenship, releasing thousands of our family and loved ones from detention, and ending anti-Black and anti-immigrant border policies like Title 42 – young, Black, brown and immigrant communities continue to meet this moment with bold leadership and have built tremendous people power to deliver critical, life-saving wins.
This past year alone, we supported each other through mutual aid networks in places like Texas when our elected officials failed to deliver relief amidst winter storms and fought to reunite families ripped apart by the deportation machine. We did this together.
Whether we are fighting for climate justice, voting rights, or citizenship for millions, building a just future for ALL is only possible when we come together, alongside progressive, pro-immigrant and pro-Black justice champions at the local, state, and federal levels, to win protections with and for each other. Together, we must continue to show that there are consequences for elected officials who back-peddle on their promises. We will defend our communities and protect our democracy because our lives depend on it. We are Undeniable.”
