The State of New Jersey Chapter of National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON), The City of East Orange, under the leadership of Mayor Ted R. Green and the East Orange City Council represented by Third Ward Councilman Bergson Leneus, will be hosting a press conference to speak out against the injustices and inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas at the U.S.-Mexico Border.

The press conference will be held on Thursday, September 23 at 12 noon at 44 City Hall Plaza in East Orange and will be attended by other elected officials and community leaders, including Councilwoman Charnette Frederic of Irvington Township, Mayor Michele Delisfort of Union Township, Rev. Jean Maurice, President of Haitian Pastors Association and Commissioner Stan Neron of the Elizabeth Board of Education.

Since September 17, 2021, over 14,000+ Haitian migrants — who had been living in Brazil, Chile, and other countries in South and Central America — arrived in Del Rio, Texas to seek asylum in the United States. Recent footage of border patrol agents chasing and beating Haitian migrants has now received national attention, while many, including our own community leaders, have expressed their horror and outrage at the management of this humanitarian crisis at the national level.

“This is not a time to turn our backs on those who are in desperate need of help and resources” said Mayor Green. “The current crisis at the border does not mirror the values I know this country holds dear. Asylum seekers should be processed in due order and be treated with dignity and humanity.”

“I am calling for the immediate stop to the inhumane treatment of our Haitian brothers and Sisters at the US-Mexico border.  The migrants did not risk death, displacement, and uncertainty on a whim. They sacrificed everything!,” said Councilman Leneus. “They should be processed and treated with the same decency and care that all persons seeking refuge and asylum are afforded.”

“I urge the Biden administration to act with compassion and stop the expulsion. It is important to process migrants and allow them to reach their families while waiting,” said Councilwoman Frederic.

“We need more sympathy from the current administration. Homeland Security and Border Patrol need to put together a task force to explore how they can partner with churches and other organizations to provide emergency relief as they process these migrants,” said Rev. Maurice.

“This is an atrocity! The current situation in Haiti makes this a humanitarian crisis and we cannot continue to contribute to genocide by sending people back to Haiti,” said Commissioner Neron.

“We live in a country that has historically provided global assistance in the wake of disasters and humanitarian relief. We should, at minimum, provide emergency aid to the migrants from Haiti, which has been severely impacted by the recent earthquake,” said Mayor Delisfort. “For those seeking asylum, every effort should be made to help them as we do in other parts of the world.”

WHO:                               City of East Orange and the State of New Jersey Chapter of National Haitian American Elected Officials Network

WHAT:                             aHahAINTGSDFKDFKJDHaitian Border Crisis Press Conference                       

WHEN:                             September 23, 2021 at 12pm

WHERE:                           44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange