SOUTHERN BORDER — Yesterday, legislation was introduced that would provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth and their families by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). The bill was co-authored by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). Continue reading

SOUTHERN BORDER — Today, members of Congress introduced the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a bold, inclusive, and humane framework proposed by President Biden to rethink immigration policy and border governance. The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) applauds this important first step to bring us together as a country and move us forward to enact much needed reform, and offers initial recommendations to strengthen the provisions on border accountability. Continue reading

New testimony in the case of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas points to agency’s culture of violence and impunity SOUTHERN BORDER — Today, the family of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas announced the filing of new testimony from three former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials who point to a cover up in a landmark case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The Hernandez case epitomizes the abuse, corruption, and impunity that pervade the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The family is represented by the UC Berkeley Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic and Alliance San Diego, a member of the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Continue reading

For Immediate Release February 1, 2021 Media Contact: Yesenia Padilla415.269.3178 [email protected] WASHINGTON — The Biden administration today asked the Supreme Court to delay arguments in Sierra Club v. Trump, a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition. The argument was set for Feb. 22, 2021. The administration has asked the court to remove the case from the February calendar, while they assess “the legality of the funding and contracting methods used to construct the wall.” Continue reading

For Immediate Release January 21, 2021 Media Contact:Yesenia Padilla [email protected] Washington, D.C. — President Biden's first day was marked by decisive and swift action on immigration and border policy, including a memorandum directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a review of policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement and a 100-day moratorium on deportations.   Continue reading

For Immediate Release January 20, 2021 Media Contact:Yesenia Padilla [email protected] SOUTHERN BORDER — Yesterday, President Biden signed an executive order to rescind Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration that was used to rush the imposition of border walls with money from the military’s budget. The move by the Trump administration was challenged by the Sierra Club, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) in a lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court, and declared illegal by a federal district court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Biden’s announcement means wall construction using funds obtained through the emergency declaration will be halted until a full legal review is completed. Read the order here. Continue reading

  For Immediate Release January 20, 2021 Media Contact:Yesenia Padilla [email protected]   SOUTHERN BORDER — Today, President Biden announced proposals to create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented community members in this country — nearly 5 million of which live in the Southwest border states of CA, AZ, NM, and TX. This is welcome news for families living in the hyper-militarized border region, where heavy-handed immigration enforcement tears apart families on a daily basis. Continue reading

For Immediate Release January 7, 2021 Media Contact:Yesenia Padilla [email protected] SOUTHERN BORDER — Last night, amid the broken glass and remnants of chaos left behind by hordes of Trump-supporting white supremacists who stormed the Capitol, Congress reconvened to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 Presidential Elections.  Continue reading

The new law will help prevent deaths and identify human remains in remote border regions. SOUTHERN BORDER — Today, President Trump signed into law the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act. The bipartisan humanitarian bill will help save lives in remote areas of the border and identify human remains to bring closure to families whose loved ones perished in these areas. The bill received overwhelming support in both chambers of Congress, demonstrating that lawmakers can come together across political differences to act on their shared humanity. Continue reading

For Immediate Release December 23, 2020 Media Contact:Yesenia Padilla [email protected] The two border agents were convicted in 2006 of assault and 4th amendment violations SOUTHERN BORDER — In a slew of unprecedented lame-duck pardons, President Trump issued pardons to Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who were convicted in 2006 of shooting Osvaldo Aldrete-Davil and then attempting to cover up the shooting. Continue reading