UndocuBlack Network

UndocuBlack Network was founded in 2016 as a project for left-of-center advocacy group The Praxis Project. ² As of 2022, it has gained tax-exempt status as a 501 (c)(3) organization. ³

UndocuBlack Network has partnered with similar advocacy groups such as Black and Pink, which promotes the abolishing of incarceration and criminal courts. UndocuBlack has also advocated for the release of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ^{1 4}

Background

UndocuBlack Network was initially founded in 2016 as a project for left-of-center advocacy group The Praxis Project. ² As of 2022, it has gained tax-exempt status as a 501 (c)(3) organization. ³

On January 15, 2016, UndocuBlack Network hosted its inaugural event in Miami, Florida called “The Undocumented and Black Convening,” which only black undocumented immigrants could attend. According to then-executive director Jonathan Jayes-Green, the event was organized to “blackify” the narratives of undocumented immigrants. ⁵

Advocacy

Criminal Justice

In November 2019, UndocuBlack Network was named by left-wing U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) as having helped draw up her radical criminal justice reform bill. The bill proposes to repeal Federal laws prohibiting unauthorized border crossings, as well as the detention and deportation for those who violate such laws, among other major changes to make criminal justice more lenient. ^{1 6}

Deferred Enforced Departure Program

On March 8, 2019, UndocuBlack filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for announcing the expiration of the Deferred Enforced Departure program (DED). The administration noted the decision was made considering improved conditions in Liberia. ⁷ On March 28, 2019, President Trump issued an executive order extending the deadline to March 30, 2020. ⁸ On December 17, 2019, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included a provision to allow 4,000 Liberians living in the United States to apply for permanent residency. UndocuBlack Network celebrated President Trump’s second executive order and the NDAA provision; despite this, UndocuBlack and African Communities Together chose to move forward with the lawsuit. ^{9 10 11 12}

21 Savage

In February 2019, UndocuBlack Network rallied for the release of British-born rapper She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (known by the stage name “21 Savage”), who was taken into custody for having overstayed his authorization to remain in the United States. UndocuBlack Network created a petition with Black Lives Matter and several other groups which gathered about 500,000 signatures for his release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. ^{4 13}

In October 2023, 21 Savage was cleared to become a permanent U.S citizen and would be permitted to travel overseas. ¹⁴

Public Charge Rule

In December 2018, UndocuBlack Network expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed “public charge” rule under the Department of Homeland Security, which would ensure public assistance programs for Americans are not used for non-citizens. UndocuBlack Network claimed the rule was commensurate with “America’s racist history.” ^{15 16}

H.R. 1994 and S. 874

In 2018, Lawrence reportedly said that through the consideration of H.R. 1994 and S. 874, the U.S. Senate was pitting beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) against illegal immigrants. UndocuBlack Network criticized the bills for having “harmful provisions” and emphasized a desire to protect illegal immigrants from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ^{17 18}

Leadership

Jonathan Jayes-Green is the co-founder and former executive director of UndocuBlack Network, serving in the role until stepping down in 2022. Jayes-Green has previously worked in several positions with the Marguerite Casey Foundation including the Vice President of Programs. He also worked as the National Latinx Outreach Director for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) 2020 presidential campaign. He was formerly an external advisor for the MacArthur Foundation in 2021 and was serving on the board of Funders for LGBT Issues. ¹⁹