Let's Talk Human Rights
Human Rights Day Migrant Vigil and the Pandemic
By Isabel Zavala '22
Human Rights Day serves as a reminder that all human life deserves to be honored and respected. On this day, the Human Rights Center (HRC) usually holds a vigil to show solidarity for all migrants in front of the Butler County U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Hamilton, Ohio. Last year, I attended the vigil which consisted of several speakers, songs, and prayers for immigrants and refugees. This event inspired me to get involved with this work in Dayton. This year, I am the new Majka Fellow at the HRC. Through this position, I am able to assist immigrants and refugees access resources to overcome many of the obstacles they face.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, unfortunately, the HRC is not able to hold the vigil. We are reminded, however, that the impact of COVID-19 on migrants and refugees extends far beyond the limitations on our expression of solidarity. The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities and inequities; nowhere is this more evident than in immigrant and refugee communities.
As Majka Fellow, I have been researching the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our local Dayton immigrant community. The City of Dayton has continued to implement programs to assist immigrants and refugees during the pandemic, through food distribution, financial assistance, and increased support in education. However, some services have been halted, such as in-person tutoring, English language classes, and soup kitchens in order to maintain everyone’s health and safety. Andrea Cregier, program coordinator at El Puente Educational Center in Dayton said, “A lot of them [immigrants] have been very negatively impacted by a lot of the closures. They’re all very worried about money and making ends meet.”
COVID-19 has made evident the lack of accessibility for vulnerable populations like immigrants and refugees to technology and the internet, which are essential during a pandemic when most things are done online- from school to medical appointments. The Migration Policy Institute concluded that 21% of immigrants who speak a language other than English across the United States do not have access to computers compared to only 5% of those who speak English. In Dayton, Andrea Cregier says only 10% of parents in her program speak English. She says, “they’re struggling a lot currently with helping their kids with the homework packets that they were sent home with, so there’s a lot of disparity, a lot of insecurities going on.” There are programs such as the Ohio Financial Assistance Program, that assist people with obtaining internet access. However, people who cannot read or speak English have difficulty calling and setting up a plan.
Though Montgomery County is facing high levels of COVID-19 spread, many assistance programs that were available at the beginning of the pandemic have now stopped. For example, Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L) offered payment relief at the start of the pandemic. Their website indicated, “In mid-March, DP&L suspended disconnections for nonpayment as well as late-payment fees and credit card fees to provide the reliable electric service customers needed throughout the state’s stay-at-home order and beyond.” In September, they started shutting off people’s power again, unless customers called the power company and spoke with DP&L to set up a plan. Other national assistance programs have also slowed or stopped such as the CARES Act in Montgomery County which ended funding on November 13th, though many people, including migrants and refugees, are still unemployed and struggling.
The term “essential worker” has taken a new definition since the pandemic began. It now highlights the importance of grocery store workers and agriculture pickers. A study by the Human Rights Watch indicates that 60% of agriculture workers are immigrants and 28% of that 60% are undocumented in the U.S. In order to get paid, agriculture workers have to continue working, and very few people receive paid sick time benefits. Being undocumented prevents individuals from being able to stay home when sick, increasing the risk of spreading the virus to others in the community.
With low pay, long hours, and few safety measures in place even before the pandemic, there is now the added danger of contracting COVID-19. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention report found that 87% of COVID-19 cases at slaughterhouses were among racial minorities. Slaughterhouses have not taken the proper measures to keep their employees safe. Employees must work in close proximity to one another, or risk losing their jobs if they don’t show up for work.
Moreover, being undocumented during the pandemic means that these individuals and families do not qualify for assistance by the government, such as the stimulus Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March 2020.
Immigrants in detention centers across the U.S. are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of COVID-19. The Butler County U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center has experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases. There has been a lawsuit by the ACLU suing Butler County jails, one in April of 2020, indicating immigrants in the facility have not received “adequate treatment while in ICE detention.” A judge from Butler County decided to release the vulnerable inmates and those that contracted COVID-19. Detention Centers nationwide continue to be very dangerous places as COVID-19 spreads rapidly.
Beyond COVID-19, migrant detainees also continue to face major human rights issues. Just days ago on December 8, 2020, attorneys associated with Norris Law Group filed a civil rights suit against the Butler County Jail for abuse from ICE officers in the Detention Center. The lawsuit alleges, “corrections officers’ repeated acts of violence, slurs, and anti-Muslim bias against two men.” A formal investigation is still pending on the allegations of abuse by the officers.
We stand in solidarity with all migrants and refugees this Human Rights Day 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we won’t be organizing the Migrant Vigil this year, the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJCP) as well as Youth Educating Society (YES) are still holding a vigil at Butler County Jail. You can find more information about this vigil on Facebook. For more information on the programs and organizations that serve to help refugees and immigrants in the Dayton area, visit Welcome Dayton’s Community Resources page.
Isabel Zavala is a Majka fellow at the Human Rights Center. She is a third-year Human Rights and Spanish major student with minors in Latinx Studies and International Business