Georgetown Law & UBN Life on Hold

INTRODUCTION “With few exceptions, the lived experience of Black immigrants very much mirrors the experience of Black American citizens. They encounter anti-Black discrimination and racial prejudice because of the color of their skin. Similar to American-born Black people, they are often subject to the same risks of poverty, lack of access to quality health care or affordable housing, over-policing and increased incarceration.” 1 This report intends to provide those interested and invested in the livelihoods of Black immigrants with knowledge and advocacy tools. The report begins with a broad discussion of the Black immigrant experience in the United States, along with descriptions of selected, contemporary immigration laws viewed through the Black immigrant lens. The report continues with a deep dive into the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program, the first U.S. immigration legalization program to be enacted in decades, and the program’s opportunities and obstacles. The report ends with informed recommendations for various government agencies to improve the administration of existing immigration programs and to provide justice to Black immigrants affected by such programs. This report is guided by Black immigrant stories and testimonies, which means the report purposefully uplifts the voices and experiences of UBN members. The report includes quotes from UBN members throughout. Although the authors may not necessarily endorse all of the content or the language used in each quote, the report includes them in original form because they paint a holistic picture of the stories and visions of Black immigrants. For confidentiality reasons, the report declines to use most personal identifiers and only refers to participants by their initials and location.

1 Joan F. Neal, Being Black and Immigrant in America, Ctr. for Migration Studies (Aug. 3, 2020), https://cmsny.org/being-Black-and- immigrant-in-america/#_ftn1.

Life On Hold: Black Immigrants & the Promise of Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness

2