Contact: Edwin Carmona-Cruz, edwin[@]ccijustice.org
Lisa Knox, lisa[@]ccijustice.org
April 26, 2021
For immediate release
CCIJ Statement on ORR Intake Facilities in California
San Francisco, CA — The California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice released the following statement with respect to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Emergency Intake Facilities housing unaccompanied minors in the state of California:
“CCIJ condemns the use of any facility that prevents the freedom of movement of any person regardless of age, background, or location. We categorically reject xenophobic policies that disproportionately displace and harm Black and Trans-Queer communities, as well as other communities of color.
We must acknowledge the root causes that force our communities to migrate: neoliberal policies, U.S. imperialism, genocide, militarization and hoarding of natural resources, and the degradation of our environment. All people have the right to live in freedom and safety.
The U.S.-Mexico border has been effectively shut down for over a year due to the family separation policy known as “Title 42.” Enacted by the Trump Administration and now continued under the Biden Administration, this inhumane policy forces families to choose between sending children across the border alone or facing expulsion back to life-threatening conditions as a family. Repealing Title 42 is a matter of public safety and necessary to end the practice of family separation.
Although emergency intake facilities in California are described as a ‘safer alternative’ to the dangerous conditions at border facilities, we must remain vigilant to ensure that “temporarily” housing unaccompanied minors does not fuel more detention in our state. Already, very few children have been released from these facilities and reunited with family or sponsors, an ominous sign of the potential for prolonged detention. We must ensure that the health and safety of all children remains the top priority for elected officials, community-based organizations, and members of the community. That includes not forcing families to separate from their children in the first place, by immediately repealing Title 42.
CCIJ will continue to work with local partners on a culturally and linguistically competent response and will uplift community demands to ensure that children are reunited with their families and not detained indefinitely. The freedom of movement and liberation of all immigrants — including children — is essential to vibrant, healthy communities.”
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