WATCH: A conversation on the experiences of Cameroonians in immigration detention with the Gulf States Newsroom
Gulf States Newsroom managing editor Priska Neely moderates a discussion between GSN race, justice and equity reporter Bobbi-Jeanne Misick and guests Daniel Tse and Fabrisk Bidpua on Zoom. The discussion was part of a virtual listening session the GSN hosted on Misick's three-part series on experiences of Cameroonian asylum seekers in the Louisiana and Mississippi immigration system.
Last year, Gulf States Newsroom reporter Bobbi-Jeanne Misick partnered with Type Investigations to publish an investigation on the experiences of Cameroonian asylum seekers in the Louisiana and Mississippi immigration system.
Her reporting uncovered numerous challenges faced by asylum seekers from Cameroon, including abuse, lengthy detention stays and threats of deportation. Immigration judges in Louisiana were also found to be much less likely to side with asylum seekers compared to other parts of the country. As a result, these individuals often find themselves caught in the thorny and unjust immigration system of the Gulf South.
On April 18, Misick and Gulf States Newsroom managing editor Priska Neely hosted a virtual listening session for Misick’s three-part series. The date marked one year since the Biden Administration granted Cameroonians Temporary Protective Status (TPS), which would allow them to stay and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation for 18 months.
Afterward, Misick and Neely discussed what’s changed since the TPS order and the dilemmas asylum seekers still face. Guests included Fabrisk Bidpua, who came to the U.S. to seek asylum as a college student, and Daniel Tse, founder of the Cameroon Advocacy Network and legal fellow at RFK Human Rights.
You can watch a replay of the listening session below.
Read more from Bobbi-Jeanne Misick:
- New complaint alleges sex assault, medical neglect, abuse of detainee at Louisiana ICE facility
- Spurred by slow deportation wait times, Louisiana ICE detainees attempted a hunger strike
- A small team works to aid immigrants in Louisiana: ‘Do the best you can with the time you have’
- Seeking asylum in the U.S. is not easy. It’s harder when you speak a rare language
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
