May 28, 2025

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

SAN DIEGO, CA – Haitian Bridge Alliance strongly denounces the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ( H.R. 1), a sweeping budget reconciliation measure that threatens the rights, dignity, and survival of immigrant communities—particularly Black migrants, asylum seekers, and low-income families.

The bill, narrowly passed by a 215–214 vote, allocates over $150 billion toward immigration enforcement, including $45 billion to expand detention capacity to unprecedented levels. It also imposes burdensome new fees on asylum seekers and families seeking reunification, effectively turning legal immigration into a pay-to-play system. For instance, those seeking safety would be required to pay $1,000.00 to apply for asylum. 

Moreover, the legislation slashes nearly $700 billion from Medicaid and $300 billion from nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, while simultaneously extending tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans . The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates the bill will increase the national deficit by $2.8 trillion over the next decade .

“This bill is a moral failure and a direct assault on the most vulnerable among us,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “It criminalizes migration, punishes poverty, and prioritizes incarceration over compassion. Black migrants, including Haitians seeking refuge from political instability and violence, will bear the brunt of these draconian policies.”

Haitian Bridge Alliance urges the United States Senate to reject this harmful legislation and calls on all Americans to stand in solidarity with immigrants and all vulnerable American communities. We must advocate for policies that uphold human rights, provide equitable access to resources, and recognize the inherent dignity of all individuals, regardless of their immigration or social status.

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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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