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Advocates cite Mauritania’s ongoing slavery in pushing for end to deportations on August 17, 2023 at 11:30 pm
Human rights advocates are pushing the Biden administration to end deportations to Mauritania, a country in the northwest of Africa where they say the practice of slavery is still prevalent.
In a letter Wednesday to President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, more than 100 groups asked the administration to immediately halt deportation flights to the country, secure the return of Mauritanians who were “wrongly deported,” and implement measures to protect other Mauritanians from deportation.
“It has been a longstanding bipartisan agreement to not deport Mauritanians from the U.S. due to the prevalence of horrific race and ethnicity-based human rights violations in the country including enslavement, forced statelessness, and ethnic cleansing,” wrote the advocates, led by the UndocuBlack Network, an advocacy group run by currently and formerly undocumented Black immigrants.
“As immigrants’ rights and human rights advocates, the recent uptick in the detention and deportation of Mauritanian asylum seekers is alarming to us. The recent deportation of eight asylum seekers, some of whom narrowly escaped slavery is unconscionable.”
Though there are only around 8,000 Mauritanians in the United States, the human rights community is especially sensitive to the group’s plight, given Mauritania’s history of ongoing slavery.
Mauritania has historically been ruled by an Arab minority with cultural links to Saharan nations like Algeria, while other ethnic groups in the south have more connections to other West African countries like Senegal.
Slavery in Mauritania largely follows ethnic lines with certain ethnicities of Black Mauritanians targeted for the practice.
Though the country abolished slavery in 1981 and passed laws criminalizing the practice in 2007 and 2015, human rights observers say the practice is ongoing.
“Mauritania has a history of deeply entrenched racial discrimination and systemic human rights abuses, particularly against its Black population,” wrote the advocates.
“When Mauritanians are deported from the United States, they face imminent danger and harm upon their arrival. Those deported have reported that they are arrested and jailed upon arrival in Mauritania. They are also put at risk of enslavement.”
Mauritania’s government claims it has taken important steps to do away with slavery, an issue that’s become central to the country’s politics.
In a January email to The Hill, Mauritanian Human Rights Commissioner Cheikh Ahmedou Ould Sidi said the country had been recognized in 2022 by its neighbors in the Sahel “as a reference model in the fight against slavery.”
Yet advocates say between 90,000 and 680,000 people remain enslaved in the country.
The best way to avoid the United States sending people into slavery and other human rights violations, they say, is to avoid deportations to the country altogether.
“Despite international disapproval and efforts to address these issues, Black Mauritanians continue to endure severe hardships and injustices. The Mauritanian authorities continue to severely restrict freedom of expression and assembly, especially when Black activists protest against racism and ethnic discrimination,” the advocates wrote.
Apart from a deportation ban, advocacy groups have long called for the Biden administration to designate Mauritania in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, a move that would grant temporary respite from deportation to nearly all Mauritanians in the United States.
The groups also criticized alleged human rights violations against Mauritanians in the U.S. immigration system.
The allegations include lack of access to language services during detention, deportation and asylum proceedings, and disparate treatment for Mauritanian asylum seekers.
“Advocates have also raised concerns around the detention of over one hundred Mauritanian asylum seekers in an annexed section of the Adelanto detention facility, separated from other detained individuals,” they wrote, noting the facility in California.
“These discriminatory and anti-Black practices harm the overall well-being of asylum seekers navigating a foreign and daunting environment after escaping slavery and other very traumatic conditions.”
Department of Homeland Security officials declined to comment on this story.
The issue of Mauritanian deportations has gained some resonance in political circles — Vice President Harris, while serving as California’s junior senator, called on the Trump administration to amp up protections for Mauritanians.
And in January, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) teamed up with Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) to call on the Biden administration to designate Mauritania for TPS. About 3,000 of the 8,000 Mauritanians in the United States have settled in Ohio.
The Biden administration has yet to publicly address the issue, and deportations to Mauritania have continued despite advocates’ ongoing pleas.
A strong U.S. condemnation of human rights conditions in Mauritania could threaten the country’s relative stability in an explosive region.
President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who is up for reelection in 2024, first took office in 2019 in Mauritania’s first peaceful transfer of power since its independence. Ghazouani’s party came out on top in parliamentary elections in May, according to Radio France Internationale.
Human rights advocates are pushing the Biden administration to end deportations to Mauritania, a country in the northwest of Africa where they say the practice of slavery is still prevalent. In a letter Wednesday to President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, more than 100 groups asked the administration to immediately halt deportation flights to…
President Donald Trump says the United States might one day get rid of federal income tax because of money the government collects from tariffs on imported goods. Tariffs are extra taxes the U.S. puts on products that come from other countries.
What Trump Is Saying
Trump has said that tariff money could become so large that it might allow the government to cut income taxes “almost completely.” He has also talked about possibly phasing out income tax over the next few years if tariff money keeps going up.
How Taxes Work Now
Right now, the federal government gets much more money from income taxes than from tariffs. Income taxes bring in trillions of dollars each year, while tariffs bring in only a small part of that total. Because of this gap, experts say tariffs would need to grow by many times to replace income tax money.
Questions From Experts
Many economists and tax experts doubt that tariffs alone could pay for the whole federal budget. They warn that very high tariffs could make many imported goods more expensive for shoppers in the United States. This could hit lower- and middle‑income families hardest, because they spend a big share of their money on everyday items.
What Congress Must Do
The president can change some tariffs, but only Congress can change or end the federal income tax. That means any real plan to remove income tax would need new laws passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. So far, there is no detailed law or full budget plan on this idea.
What It Means Right Now
For now, Trump’s comments are a proposal, not a change in the law. People and businesses still have to pay federal income tax under the current rules. The debate over using tariffs instead of income taxes is likely to continue among lawmakers, experts, and voters.
Former President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to declassify all government files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier whose death in 2019 continues to fuel controversy and speculation.
The order, signed Wednesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, instructs the FBI, Department of Justice, and intelligence agencies to release documents detailing Epstein’s network, finances, and alleged connections to high-profile figures. Trump described the move as “a step toward transparency and public trust,” promising that no names would be shielded from scrutiny.
“This information belongs to the American people,” Trump said in a televised statement. “For too long, powerful interests have tried to bury the truth. That ends now.”
U.S. intelligence officials confirmed that preparations for the release are already underway. According to sources familiar with the process, the first batch of documents is expected to be made public within the next 30 days, with additional releases scheduled over several months.
Reactions poured in across the political spectrum. Supporters praised the decision as a bold act of accountability, while critics alleged it was politically motivated, timed to draw attention during a volatile election season. Civil rights advocates, meanwhile, emphasized caution, warning that some records could expose private victims or ongoing legal matters.
The Epstein case, which implicated figures in politics, business, and entertainment, remains one of the most talked-about scandals of the past decade. Epstein’s connections to influential individuals—including politicians, royals, and executives—have long sparked speculation about the extent of his operations and who may have been involved.
Former federal prosecutor Lauren Fields said the release could mark a turning point in public discourse surrounding government transparency. “Regardless of political stance, this declassification has the potential to reshape how Americans view power and accountability,” Fields noted.
Officials say redactions may still occur to protect sensitive intelligence or personal information, but the intent is a near-complete disclosure. For years, critics of the government’s handling of Epstein’s case have accused agencies of concealing evidence or shielding elites from exposure. Trump’s order promises to change that narrative.
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What Happened at the United Nations
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, defending Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza. As he spoke, more than 100 delegates from over 50 countries stood up and left the chamber—a rare and significant diplomatic walkout. Outside the UN, thousands of protesters gathered to voice opposition to Netanyahu’s policies and call for accountability, including some who labeled him a war criminal. The protest included activists from Palestinian and Jewish groups, along with international allies.
Why Did Delegates and Protesters Walk Out?
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International Reaction and Significance
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Why Is This News Important?
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This episode at the UN highlights how international diplomacy, public protests, and official policy are all intersecting in real time as the search for solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains urgent and unresolved.
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