We Welcome Asylum Seekers and Defend
Their Rights
An open letter from over one hundred artists, activists, scholars, and writers
By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Noam Chomsky, Noura Erakat , Tom Morello
February 05, 2019 "Information Clearing House" - We—activists, scholars, writers and artists—strongly condemn President Trump’s efforts to vilify, intimidate, and use force against refugees and asylum seekers at and approaching the U.S. border.
We are deeply troubled by the government's responses to current and recent asylum seekers, which include the deployment of military personnel to an already highly militarized border, and expansion of detention facilities meant to incarcerate people entering the U.S. rather than welcome them. We reject President Trump's maligning of the refugees as an "invasion." And we recognize the fact that U.S. political, economic, and military activities in Central America have contributed to the situation that so many people—including families with small children—are fleeing.
President Trump has spoken about the asylum seekers currently stuck in Tijuana, claiming without evidence that "a significant majority will not be eligible for or be granted that benefit." In fact, all people have the right to come to this country, seek asylum, and have their cases heard.
U.S. law is clear in outlining the rights of people to come to the country and claim asylum. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 states that a foreigner "who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States, whether or not at a designated port of arrival" may apply for asylum. The participants in the Exodus from Central America—as the refugees refer to their journey—are doing exactly what the law requires to seek refuge in the United States.
Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? |
The rights of asylum seekers are also
supported by international law. The 1967
United Nations Protocol Relating to the
Status of Refugees—which the United States
has signed—states that "refugees shall have
free access to the courts of law on the
territory of all contracting states" and
that they shall enjoy "the same treatment as
a national in matters pertaining to access
to the courts." The United States' actions
violate this principle.
The signatories of this statement include
people who live both within and outside of
the borders of the United States. We believe
that the people and government of the U.S.
are not only accountable to ourselves, but
to the world. We believe that all people,
wherever they come from, should be free to
move to wherever they choose. We call on
others to join us in offering solidarity and
welcome to all refugees and asylum seekers.
Signed (organizational affiliations are
included for identification purposes only),
1. Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Rev. William J. Barber II, National
President & Senior Lecturer, Repairers of
the Breach
3. Tom Morello, Musician
4. Teju Cole, Writer and Photographer
5. Molly Crabapple, Artist and Author
6. Noura Erakat, Human Rights Attorney
7. Yesenia Portillo, Organizer, CISPES –
Committee In Solidarity with the People of
El Salvador
8. Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, Language,
Literacy, and Culture, College of Education,
University of Massachusetts, Member,
National Academy of Education
9. Mercedes Martinez, President, Puerto
Rican Federation of Teachers
10. Keeanga-Yamatta Taylor, Author, From #BlackLivesMatter
to Black Liberation
11. Rory Fanning, Former US Army Ranger, War
Resister
12. Jennifer Rosenbaum, Global Labor Justice
13. Lisa Lowe, Tufts University
14. Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy
Studies
15. Maggie Martin, About Face
16. Steven Mayers, Co-editor of Solito,
Solita: Crossing Borders With Youth Refugees
from Central America, Professor at City
College of San Francisco
17. Katherine Gallagher, Center for
Constitutional Rights
18. John Cavanaugh, Executive Director,
Institute for Policy Studies
19. Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians
20. Sameerah Ahmad, United Students Against
Sweatshops
21. Dave Zirin, Sports Editor, The Nation
22. Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor
in Critical Studies, College of Educational
Studies, Chapman University
23. Jesse Hagopian, Co-editor, “Teaching for
Black Lives,” editor, Rethinking Schools
24. Mike Davis, Professor Emeritus,
University of California, Riverside
25. Katherine Hite, Vassar College,
26. Lisa Kaul, Vassar College
27. Joseph Nevins, Vassar College
28. Diana Taylor, Professor, New York
University
29. Jonathon Kahn, Professor of Religion,
Vassar College
30. Akua Gyamerah, University of California,
San Francisco
31. Tim Koechlin, Director, International
Studies Program, Vassar College
32. Pamela Yates, Film Director
33. Eva Woods Peiró, Professor, Vassar
College
34. Nancy Kricorian, Writer
35. Greg Dawes, North Carolina State
University
36. Kathleen Vernon, Stony Brook University
37. Dao X. Tran, Editor
38. Eileen Leonard, Professor of Sociology,
Vassar College
39. Mimi Lok, Voice of Witness
40. Kate Doyle, National Security Archive
41. Sophia Harvey, Associate Professor
42. Terrence Fraser, Black4Palestine, Black
Alliance for Peace
43. Marlene Solís, El Colegio de la Frontera
Norte
44. Ricia Anne Chansky, Professor,
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
45. Ariana Vigil, Associate Professor, Women
and Gender Studies, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill
46. Daralee Vazquez-Garcia, New York
Collective of Radical Educators
47. Natalia Ortiz, New York Collective of
Radical Educators
48. Hector Agredano, Pasadena City College
49. Shirley Leyro, PhD, Assistant Professor
of Criminal Justice
50. Katrina Powell, Virginia Tech
51. Edna Bonhomme, Democratic Socialists of
America and Frauen Streik Berlin
52. Emily Satterwhite, Virginia Tech
53. K.M. Powell, Virginia Tech
54. John Whitley, Poor People’s Campaign
55. Natalie Pien, Unitarian Universalist
Church of Loudoun, Green Team
56. Jason Rylander, Artist, Attorney,
Activist
57. Stacy Lovelace
58. Shane Lovelace
59. Laura Gillman, Professor Emerita,
Virginia Tech
60. Rachel Carle, ActionAid USA
61. Doug Hertzler, ActionAid USA
62. Brandon Wu, Director of Policy &
Campaigns, ActionAid USA and Organizer,
Sanctuary DMV
63. Kirsten Wesselhoeft, Assistant Professor
of Religion
64. Brad Simpson, Associate Professor of
History, University of Connecticut
65. Alberta Guerra, ActionAid USA
66. Adam Miyashiro, Literature Program,
Stockton University
67. Holly Painter, English Faculty,
University of Vermont
68. Yolanda Flores, University of Vermont
69. Peter Spitzform, Librarian
70. Emily Coderre, Researcher
71. Anthony E Grudin, University of Vermont
72. Kristen Kelley, Housing Advocate and
Activist
73. Andrew Sloin, Associate Professor of
History, Baruch College, CUNY
74. Teresa Mares, Associate Professor of
Anthropology, University of Vermont
75. Boris Dralyuk, Executive Editor, Los
Angeles Review of Books
76. Kenneth Allen, Senior Lecturer
77. Eve Sicular, Musician, Isle of Klezbos
78. Susan A.Comerford, University of Vermont
79. David Slucki, College of Charleston
80. Selene Colburn, Assistant Library
Professor, University of Vermont
81. Eric M. Fink, Associate Professor, Elon
University School of Law
82. Samuel Greenberg, Jewish Solidarity
Caucus
83. David Shneer, Louis P. Singer Chair,
University of Colorado Boulder
84. Nick Riemer, Departments of English and
Linguistics, University of Sydney, Australia
85. David Brophy, Department of History,
University of Sydney, Australia
86. Michael Gould-Wartofsky, Author, The
Occupiers; PhD Candidate in Sociology, New
York University
87. Pam Campos, Former Air Force
Servicemember, Executive Director of Common
Defense
88. Zakiyah Ansari, New York State Alliance
for Quality Education
89. Miguel Zavala, Co-President, California
Chapter of the National Association for
Multicultural Education
90. Anaida Colon-Muniz, Ed.D., Professor of
Scholarly Practice, Attallah College of
Educational Studies, Chapman University
91. Noah Asher Golden, Assistant Professor,
Attallah College of Educational Studies,
Chapman University
92. Rosemary Rivera, Citizen Action New York
93. Pranav Jani, Associate Professor of
English, The Ohio State University
94. Snehal Shingavi, Associate Professor,
Department of English, The University of
Texas, Austin
95. Anton Ford, Associate Professor,
University of Chicago
96. Dana L. Cloud, Professor, Graduate
Program Director, Department of
Communication and Rhetorical Studies,
Syracuse University
97. Nagesh Rao, Lecturer, Colgate University
98. Martin J. Ponce, Ohio State University
99. Bill V. Mullen, Professor of American
Studies, Purdue University
100. Deepa Kumar, Associate Professor of
Journalism and Media Studies
101. Nancy Welch, Professor of English,
University of Vermont
102. Phil Gasper, Emeritus Professor of
Philosophy, Notre Dame de Namur University
103. Sam Nelson, Jobs With Justice
104. Denise Guadalupe Romero, International
Socialist Organization and LSSA 2320 of the
United Auto Workers
105. Gillian Russon, United Teachers of Los
Angeles
106. Khury Petersen-Smith, Institute for
Policy Studies
107. Celia Cuddy, University of Vermont
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