June 12, 2025

Contact:
media@haitianbridge.org
info@haitianbridge.org

San Diego, CA — Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) denounces in the strongest terms the three-count federal indictment of Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10th) alleging “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement” during a congressional oversight visit to Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center on May 9th, 2025. 

“Members of Congress have a constitutional duty to conduct oversight of immigration detention facilities,” said HBA’s Executive Director, Guerline Jozef. “Instead of protecting these fundamental rights, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is weaponizing its authority to silence those who dare to demand transparency and humanity. This is a blatant attempt to chill advocacy and oversight—especially when Black, Brown and Muslim migrants and immigrants are targeted and detained under brutal, often secretive, Immigration Customs Enforcement(ICE) protocols. Furthermore, we stand behind the peaceful protests across America against this administration’s cruel and racist immigration policies. ”

This indictment is a dangerous warning shot—intended to intimidate anyone in power who dares to defend migrant communities and demand basic human dignity. But we refuse to be silent. The Trump administration must be held accountable for its escalating assault on oversight, truth, and justice. History has shown us that justice is never given—it must be demanded. Haitian and Black immigrants remain among the most vulnerable to the cruelty of a broken and deliberately opaque detention system. Those who dare to speak out on their behalf must be protected—not prosecuted.

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ABOUT HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, foreign policy, and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and builds solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”).
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