by A Scribe Called Quess?
Since March 3, some 40 African migrants, most Cameroonian, have been holding hunger strikes in an ICE concentration camp in Pine Prairie, LA. They’re protesting their extended detainment and inhumane treatment by ICE. The migrants paused their hunger strike when ICE agents said they would look into their cases. When this promise turned out to be a lie, the strike resumed. While some agents used deception to manipulate, others were more direct telling the men “for the 18 years I have worked for Department of Homeland Security, I’ve been trained to deport as many of you as possible,” threatening to deport them by October 7.
The migrants qualify for asylum under international law and have been incarcerated far longer than the law is supposed to allow. Still, Oakdale Immigration Court’s racist Judge Scott Laragy recently issued Final Orders of Removal to most of the men, resting his opinion on bogus “credibility” tactics, telling them that even if they appeal, he would still deny them asylum. Laragy has denied more than 85 percent of asylum cases that came before his court between 2014-2019, well above the national average of 63 percent. Since a large number of immigration judges are former ICE attorneys, it’s no wonder they uphold ICE’s mandates that support the ruling class. ICE uses racism to divide and conquer our working-class siblings nationally and internationally.
African migrants are twice as likely to receive deportations as their Latinx counterparts and are charged higher bonds due to their lack of family ties. But that lack of ties is a result of 400 years of racist U.S. foreign policy that barred immigration from Africa since the slave trade and even more so after the Haitian Revolution. This anti-Blackness permeates the practices of capitalist politicians of all races, so much so that the Mexican government is more likely to hand over African migrants to ICE than other immigrants. Meanwhile, African American politicians like Cedric Richmond, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, have failed to take adequate action by denouncing the modern-day slavery in Pine Prairie and demanding the release of all detainees immediately.
On August 14, the New Orleans Workers Group held a militant action in solidarity with the migrants and overwhelmed ICE officials with the power of the people. Only sustained direct action by the people to expose GEO Group, the $2.5 billion private company that runs the Pine Prairie ICE camp, will achieve the ultimate shut down of the camp and liberation of our working-class siblings. To support continued effort, email noworkersgroup@gmail.com and cameroon.american.council@gmail.com . We must fight until victory! Free Them All NOW!