Ohio Immigrant Alliance held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol, urging Congress to allow deported family members to return to the United States. This event, which took place on Tuesday, highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Relatives of deported individuals, along with advocacy representatives, presented their case, stressing the human impact of current immigration policies. Lynn Tramonte, director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, and Suma Setty, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, introduced their book, “Broken Hope: Deportation and the Road Home,” underscoring the dire consequences of deportation.
Tramonte compared deportation to being forced to abandon everything built over 20 years due to a paperwork violation, emphasizing the harsh realities faced by many.
Personal Stories Highlight the Need for Reform
Wafaa Hamdi shared her sister Tina’s story. Tina Hamdi was deported to Morocco in 2017 after serving a drug-related sentence. Having lived in the U.S. since the age of three under DACA status, Tina has been separated from her children for eight years.
Omar Toumbou addressed the broader issues of immigration, discussing the impact of historical Western colonization on African nations. He emphasized that policies need to consider the systemic violence and instability caused by colonial legacies, which drive many to seek refuge in the U.S. His uncle, Abdoulaye Thiaw, was deported to Mauritania, illustrating the personal toll of current policies.
Campaign for Reentry and Legislative Support
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) launched the Chance to Come Home campaign in 2021. This initiative advocates for a centralized process through the Department of Homeland Security to allow deported individuals to apply for reentry.
Several Democratic lawmakers support the campaign and have urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to establish such a system. Ohio’s congressional delegation has also taken steps to protect Mauritanians from deportation. In January, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Reps. Mike Carey, Joyce Beatty, and Greg Landsman introduced the TPS for Mauritania Act of 2024, seeking to grant Temporary Protected Status to Mauritanians in the U.S.
Ongoing Challenges and Advocacy Efforts
Despite these efforts, challenges remain for those facing deportation, including language barriers and inadequate legal resources. Tramonte called for comprehensive immigration court reform and urged support for the Chance to Come Home campaign.
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance plans to continue advocating for immigration justice with the Ohio congressional delegation, striving to reunite families and address the systemic issues within the current immigration system.
