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JOIN PROTECT HUMANITY INITIATIVE ABOUT Protect Humanity is a grassroots initiative designed to spread awareness about the global refugee and migration crisis. We place protecting human rights at the forefront of our campaign. We aim to keep the public updated by sharing important current events. We have fought for impactful policy changes on the local, national and global levels. We strive to hold our leaders accountable, and to educate and empower others to take action. We work to ensure that our voices are heard for generations to come. OUR CAMPAIGNS What We Believe In AWARENESS Everyone Counts ADVOCACY Ensuring that All Voices are Heard OUTREACH No One Should be Silenced DO YOUR PART VOLUNTEERING Our work is never done, and we can use all the help we can get. One of the ways you can take part is by Volunteering. Spread the word about all that Protect Humanity Initiative is doing, and help us gain the support we need. PLANNING A FUNDRAISER Active participation is an essential part of our movement’s success. Planning a Fundraiser is a great way to connect with your local community and spread the importance of our mission. With several different campaigns, it is easy to find something that personally inspires you. CONTACT US Submit Thanks for submitting!

Appeals Court Rules DACA Unlawful: Why It Matters The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, affirmed an earlier ruling by a U.S. District Judge declaring DACA to be unconstitutional. The program protects over 600,000 young immigrant from being deported. A recent federal court ruling affirmed that DACA violated federal law because of its' overreach of presidential authority and lack of "Congressional authorization." Established by President Obama in 2012, the DACA program protects eligible, undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children from deportation and allows them to apply for work permits. The program has been shown to boost access to higher education and higher wages for its recipients while also increasing graduation rates as it provides them an opportunity to integrate into American society. There are currently over 600,000 immigrants protected under DACA. ​ While the recent rulings have allowed current DACA recipients to renew their status temporarily, it restricts the U.S. government from accepting new applicants to the program. Furthermore, the existing protections for current recipients are not guaranteed so, they may be at risk of deportation in the coming future, though many of them have resided in the U.S. for decades. It is vital that DACA, along with the program's DREAMERS, remained protected. The program has provided DREAMERS with access to a quality education while reducing their poverty rate. Economists even maintain that DACA has had a positive impact on the general U.S. economy . In addition, although DACA is considered a "controversial" political topic, it is largely supported by Americans. According to Pew Research Center , roughly 74% of Americans favored "Congress passing a law that granting permanent legal status to immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally when they were children." This shows broad American support for expanding the protections under DACA. ​ The U.S. Appeals Court sent the case back to a lower court for further review after President Biden updated regulations in August. These updates strengthened the legality of the program by codifying it into federal regulatory law. The appeals court did not consider this change in its' ruling, meaning that despite major challenges, there is still hope for the DACA program to remain intact.

IN THE NEWS Media Mentions Appeals Court Rules DACA Unlawful: Why It Matters October 6, 2022 Read More Workplace ICE Raids: Employment Rights for Undocumented Workers September 8, 2022 Read More The Dire Need for Congress's Afghanistan Adjustment Act August 15, 2022 Read More The Dangers of Mexico-U.S. Land Border Crossings for Migrants August 2, 2022 Read More

Workplace ICE Raids: Employment Rights for Undocumented Workers The Trump administration's rampant increase in ICE workplace raids left immigrant communities across the nation devastated. Now, as the Biden administration seeks to focus on targeting employers rather than undocumented employees, a reckoning is being held over the violation of worker's civil rights. Helen, whose husband, Carlos, was arrested by ICE during a workplace raid, wipes tears from her eyes while speaking. Sam DeGrave In October 2021, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered ICE to halt workplace raids on immigrant workplaces. Mayorkas explained that the Biden administration "will not tolerate unscrupulous employers who exploited unauthorized workers, conduct illegal activities, or impose unsafe working conditions." Undocumented immigrants are significantly more likely to be exploited by their employers "in the form of strenuous physical work, long hours, and substandard wages ", prompting many to believe that employers should be the focus of immigration and labor law enforcement. This is a stark difference from the strict immigration enforcement of the Trump administration, where mass raids quickly became the norm. In fact, in 2019, one of the largest U.S. immigration raids occurred at a number of processing plants in Mississippi with a net 680 arrests. The strings of raids left the communities of those arrested devastated while simultaneously breaking up families and separating children from their parents. ​ While the Biden administration works to rectify the effects of invasive ICE enforcement, a legal reckoning is being held over the civil rights of immigrant workers. Earlier this month, a federal court in Tennessee awarded the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) a class certification in Isabel Zelaya, et al. v. Robert Hammer, et al. , allowing over 100 Latino class members to continue their civil rights action against ICE and IRS agents involved in a workplace raid of a Tennessee meat processing plant. ​ According to the SPLC , the ICE agents detained every worker at the plant who "appeared Latino" without regard to documentation of citizenship or legal residency. The court noted the evidence that agents detained "the Latino employees-even those who asserted that they had valid work authorization." The individuals, whose Due Process rights were clearly violated, were left traumatized by the events from arrest to transportation to detainment facility. The trauma was seen beyond just those who had been detained, in fact, over 500 students stayed home from school the next day coping with issues of family separation and the looming fear of economic insecurity. The historic case will enter its' judgement phase this fall, setting a precedent against the racist methods of immigration enforcement being used by the U.S. Federal government.

The Dangers of Mexico-U.S. Border Crossings for Migrants The risk of death for migrants traveling across the U.S.-Mexico border reached a record high this year. As migrants seek refuge in the United States, they are confronted by a number of inconceivable obstacles. The trek across the Sonoran Desert and Rio Grande, accompanied by ill-smuggling attempts and excessive use of force by patrol agents collectively bring significant risk for migrants. On June 27th, a tractor-trailer transporting migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border passed a federal immigrant checkpoint. It later stopped on the road, allowing a young girl trapped inside to climb out and call for help. Officials arrived at a tragic scene where 53 of the 64 migrants inside had died from extreme heat conditions of the truck. On February 19th, Carmelo Cruz-Marcos, an unarmed migrant traveling through Arizona was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent . On May 11th, Dania Leticia Mejia Castro, a pregnant 23-year old woman, drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande River in the United States. These heartbreaking stories have become all too common, resulting in them being largely underreported by U.S. media. In addition, talks of legality status and deportation take up the majority of the discussion on migration across the U.S.-Mexico border while concerns for the safety of the migrants themselves goes unheard. ​ As migrants embark on their journey to the United States, they are often confronted by unforeseen, unsettling circumstances. These journeys require traveling thousands of miles, taking months before they can even reach the border. There is a considerable lack of basic resources for migrants, who require food, water, clothing, and toiletries to survive. This can make them susceptible to the ability of human smuggling schemes to bring them across the border. In fact, these schemes have largely evolved over the past decade, with The New York Times even describing it as a "billion-dollar business" led by some of the most dangerous drug cartels . These operations also make immigrants particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of human trafficking . ​ Terrestrial dangers bring additional risks for migrants. Traveling across the Rio Grande is often a part of the journey for migrants. But the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 728 people died or disappeared across the U.S.-Mexico border and that main direct cause of death along the border has been drowning in the Rio Grande . The Sonoran Desert brings additional risk, particularly in the summer when temperatures reach over 100°F, for migrants because of the extreme heat conditions and risk of dehydration. Pima County in Arizona reported a record number of skeletal remains , presumed to be those of migrants, along the Sonoran desert in 2021. ​ The tragedy of migrant deaths along the border remains irrefutable. Individuals seeking refuge and safety for themselves and their families are constantly being confronted with dangerous circumstances. The institutions of law enforcement that are meant to be enforcing safety and protection are oftentimes the ones creating risk for migrants. It is imperative that lawmakers begin to examine the conditions at the border and consider protecting the lives of migrants.

OUR MOVEMENT What We Do OUTREACH No One Should be Silenced PARTNERSHIP Everyone Counts ADVOCACY Ensuring that All Voices are Heard

ABOUT US ​ Protect Humanity is a grassroots initiative designed to spread awareness about the global refugee and migration crisis. We place protecting human rights at the forefront of our campaign. We aim to keep the public updated by sharing important current events. We have fought for impactful policy changes on the local, national and global levels. We strive to hold our leaders accountable, and to educate and empower others to take action. We work to ensure that our voices are heard for generations to come.

The Dire Need for the Afghanistan Adjustment Act The Afghanistan Adjustment Act, or S.4787 , was proposed in the U.S. Congress by a group of bipartisan Senators. The bill seeks to expand the eligibility to special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals and also expand the path to permanent residency status. Since the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, tens of thousands of Afghan people have been displaced and have settled in the U.S. In fact, an estimated 84,000 Afghans have entered the U.S. since then as refugees. At the time, many entered through humanitarian parole, which allowed them to safely escape Afghanistan quickly and seek refuge in the United States. Humanitarian parole is a temporary program that grants individuals only two years of stay in the U.S. without providing a path towards permanent residency. This means that individuals who entered through the program would be at risk of losing access to employment and their legal right to stay in the U.S. At the same time, their is a huge risk involved in returning to the homeland, which was seized by the Taliban. ​ The Afghan Adjustment Act seeks to provide a path to permanent residency status for those who entered the U.S. through the humanitarian parole program. The bill specifies that it will focus on those who "supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan" and would also be considered "at-risk" if they were to return to Afghanistan. It also mentions that there will be an "adequate vetting process for parolees from Afghanistan." ​ Although the AAA is a bipartisan bill, it is not certain that it will be passed by the U.S. Congress. Particularly, some Republicans are concerned over the effectiveness of the vetting process which will be implemented. We can all help by reaching out to your Congressional Representatives and advocating for the passing of the AAA.

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