Reaffirms Commitment to Stand with All Immigrants
As a non-partisan, non-profit organization, the BBA takes no direct role in campaigns for elective office, but we are compelled to speak when public rhetoric undermines the principles core to our mission: access to justice, equal protection, civil rights, and the rule of law.
Such is the case with the recent disinformation against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Simply put, these comments, and this targeting, must end, because of the harm they are causing to our immigrant neighbors—and because such actions can create a vulnerable subclass, undermining the social cohesion that makes democracy possible.
To be sure, immigration policy is a legitimate topic of political debate. However, this disinformation has harmed the people of Springfield and reflects a broader, perennial, and corrosive effort to demonize immigrants nationwide.
As with all of our positions on immigration issues, we make this statement guided by the BBA’s Immigration Principles, which affirm our commitment to standing with all immigrant communities, in Boston and beyond, and recognize the central—indeed, indispensable—role immigrants play. In this instance, we point to Principles #1 and #2:
- Immigration is a defining feature of the American experience. Immigrants play a critical role in the civic, economic, and cultural life of our city, state, and country.
- No person’s rights or human dignity should be devalued on the basis of immigration or citizenship status.
Ohio may be far from Boston, but the impact is being felt across the country. In our region—which is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the US—we will continue to proudly partner with organizations that provide legal services and other support to immigrants.
Read more about the BBA’s immigration advocacy:
- Expressing concern about new border policies that deny asylum-seekers a meaningful opportunity to have their claims adjudicated
- Opposing a rule change to impose related restrictions
- Commenting on the treatment of transferees to Martha’s Vineyard
