The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, in partnership with Cameroon Muslim Students Union (CAMSU), Cameroon Muslimahs of North America (CAMNA) and Cameroon American Council (CAC), today called on Americans to contact their members of Congress to support H. Res 1048, which calls for the Department of Homeland Security to grant humanitarian parole for Cameroonian Asylees.
The resolution was introduced by Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), along with original cosponsors Representatives Glenn Ivey (MD-04), David Trone (MD-06), CA Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), in introducing the Humanitarian Parole for Cameroon Resolution.
SEE: New Resolution Urging Humanitarian Parole for Cameroon
Background
In December 2023, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in collaboration with the Cameroon American Council (CAC), Cameroon Student Union (CAMSU), Cameroonian Muslimahs of North America (CAMNA), jointly issued a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The letter underscored the dire conditions in Cameroon, the pervasive anti-Africanness and anti-Blackness in immigration, and the urgent necessity for Special Humanitarian Parole for Cameroon.
With escalating violence and instability in Cameroon, CAIR, CAMSU, CAMNA, and CAC emphasized the critical need for immediate action to protect vulnerable populations fleeing persecution and violence. This call for action aligns with the broader humanitarian efforts to address the ongoing crisis in Cameroon.
Several members of Congress have taken action. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Glenn F. Ivey (MD-04) added their voices to the plea for action by sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in January 2024. Representatives David Trone (D-MD) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) joined the call for Humanitarian Parole for Cameroon migrants in February 2024 by sending a letter to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M. Jaddu. Their advocacy amplifies the urgency of the situation and highlights the bipartisan support for addressing the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon.
In a statement, CAC President and Founder Sylvie Ngassa Qwasinwi Bello said:
“This Ramadan marks the one-year anniversary of Dahiru, a young Cameroonian Muslim refugee who miraculously survived a harrowing boat accident in the Atlantic Ocean. Dahiru’s journey, marked by tragedy and perseverance, serves as a poignant reminder of the countless lives impacted by conflict and displacement in Cameroon. With over 900 fellow Cameroonians stranded across the Caribbean, Dahiru’s story underscores the urgent need for Special Humanitarian Parole to reunite them with their families in the United States. Let us stand against anti-African bias in immigration policy and rally our support for our African brothers and sisters by calling on members of Congress to endorse H.Res.1048.”
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CONTACT: Lamya Agarwala, Esq., CAIR-NY Supervising Attorney, LAgarwala@cair.com; Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com; Rabea Ali, CAIR-NY Communications Coordinator, 347-651-0954, rali@cair.com CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com