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
Gulf South states among U.S. leaders for juvenile life without parole sentences, study shows
A youth sentencing study shows Alabama and Mississippi are among just four states that top the nation in new juvenile life without parole sentences since 2012.
Workers at Alabama’s Mercedes plants vote against joining a union
The workers voted 56% against the union, according to tallies released by the National Labor Relations Board, which ran the election.
Taylor Hunnicutt is championing her home state with debut album ‘Alabama Sound’
Alabama offers a diverse symphony of swampy rock, swaggering blues, murky country, and bone-rattling soul. It’s a sound singer-songwriter Taylor Hunnicutt recently reimagined on her debut album, Alabama Sound, which is out now.
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
