This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
The number of migrants detained at the U.S.–Mexico border rose by 36% in May, according to Customs and Border Protection. The numbers had previously declined dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic and rapid deportation orders put in place by the Trump administration, which meant that anyone who made an unauthorized border crossing, even asylum seekers, was deported immediately. CBP arrested 23,118 migrants in May, up from 16,966 in April. May’s statistics were still a decrease from 114,116 arrests made in May 2019, when a large number of families attempted to cross the border. The Washington Post
In other national immigration news…
Migrant Granted Burial Due to BLM
Jamila Nabunjo, a 33-year old Ugandan migrant, was finally able to receive a burial in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement. Nabunjo had arrived at Juarez in April 2019 and died in September while waiting to enter the U.S. to seek asylum, under the Remain in Mexico policy. Edith Tapia, a 34-year-old policy analyst, had been fighting to reclaim her body as Mexican officials denied its release, citing invalid ID and incomplete paperwork. Tapia said protests over the killing of George Floyd helped turn the tides and have Nabunjo’s body released from the morgue. Dallas Morning News
Immigrant Communities in Florida Hard-Hit by COVID-19
Rural immigrant communities in Florida are experiencing outbreaks of the coronavirus pandemic, even though it was once thought their remote locations would keep them safe. Florida seemed to be relatively spared amid the coronavirus pandemic, but as businesses reopen, it has seen a devastating uptick in cases. That new wave of cases has hit the secluded community of Immokalee, which has a population of 25,000 and has reported more than 1,000 cases — more than those in Miami Beach and St. Petersburg. Collier County, which houses Immokalee, has the highest rate of positive tests in the state. Associated Press
Tech Workers Call for Cancellation of ICE Contract
Microsoft announced that it would stop selling facial recognition software to police, in response to protests over the killing of George Floyd. For employees at GitHub, a company owned by Microsoft, the decision reinvigorated calls for the company to cancel its contract with ICE. Employees at tech companies across Silicon Valley have been pushing their companies to turn down government contracts with law enforcement agencies such as ICE since President Trump came into office. GitHub’s CEO Nat Friedman pledged his support to the Black Lives Matter movement but said he would not be reconsidering its ICE contract. The Los Angeles Times
Haitian Death Squad Leader Will Still be Deported
The deportation of Haitian death squad leader Emmanuel “Toto” Constant is still imminent despite his deportation being delayed due to COVID-19. Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Andy Levine have raised the issue of Constant’s deportation with the Department of Homeland Security, as they were concerned that he would not face adequate justice under Haiti’s system. The agency said that it is moving forward with the deportation regardless and is working with the Haitian government to do so. He has been in ICE custody since he was released from New York state prison. The Miami Herald
