,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #abba ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,november #af1 #bjbj,ms4 ,bass 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,waters1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,clyburn1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,david ,scott of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,richmond1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,jeffries1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,ms4 ,plaskett1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,mr4 ,brown of ,maryland1 ,mr4 ,lawson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,mc,eachin1 ,mr4 ,horsford1 ,mr4 ,allred1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,mfume1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,kind1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 and ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,,resolution ,urging the ,united ,states to uphold its commitments under international treaties related to refugees and asylum-seekers and halt deportations of ,cameroonian citizens4 ,whereas every year people come to the ,united ,states seeking protection because they have suffered persecution or fear that they will suffer persecution due to race1 religion1 nationality1 or membership in a particular social group or political opinion2 ,whereas1 in #bjah1 for the first time since the #aihj adoption of the ,refugee ,act1 the ,united ,states did not lead the world in refugee resettlement2 ,whereas the ,trump administration has steadily lowered the refugee admission ceiling1 beginning with a temporary freeze shortly after taking office in #bjag2 ,whereas1 on ,october #bjbj1 the ,united ,states ,immigration and ,customs ,enforcement 7,,ice7 removed over #fj ,cameroonian asylum-seekers and #bh other ,african nationals despite recent allegations that many of these individuals were coerced into signing travel documents effectuating their removal2 ,whereas advocacy groups have raised concerns following reports that officials at ,adams ,county ,correctional1 ,winn ,correctional1 and ,jackson ,correctional ,facilities in the ,new ,orleans ,,ice ,field ,office ,region1 used coercive tactics such as physical violence1 pressure1 and threats to obtain ,cameroonian individuals' signatures on deportation documents2 ,whereas the number of sub-,saharan ,african migrants1 including ,cameroonians1 entering the ,united ,states through ,mexico has doubled from #b1gjj in #bjah to #e1hjj in #bjai and according to the ,united ,nations ,refugee ,agency 7,,unhcr7 data1 the number of ,cameroonian asylum-seekers in ,mexico increased from #bc in #bjaf to #aje in #bjag2 ,whereas1 from #bjab to #bjaf1 the number of ,cameroonians applying for asylum in the ,united ,states has also increased from less than #fjj to more than #a1cjj2 ,whereas the #bjai ,department of ,state ,cameroon ,human ,rights ,report documented human rights abuses1 including unlawful or arbitrary killings1 disappearances by security forces1 torture1 and armed detention by nonstate armed groups1 including ,anglophone separatists1 ,boko ,haram1 and ,,isis-,west ,africa 7,,isis-,,wa7 fighters2 ,whereas ,cameroon's ,anglophone population have long been marginalized by official actions and policies of the ,government2 ,whereas1 in #bjaf1 instability gave way to violence and in #bjag the conflict escalated when ,cameroonian security forces brutally cracked down on ,anglophone civilians peacefully demonstrating and displaced large numbers of people2 ,whereas nearly #gjj1jjj people have been displaced in the northwest and southwest regions alone1 with over #c1ijj1jjj currently in need of humanitarian support1 thousands have been killed1 and the ,united ,nations estimates that there are more than #eh1jjj refugees seeking safety outside of ,cameroon2 ,whereas due to the continuing conflict in ,cameroon1 violence against and abuse of the civilian population are the most pressing concerns2 ,whereas the ,,unhcr has documented widespread protection issues and human rights violations1 including the burning of property1 kidnapping1 rape and sexual assault1 child labor and abuse1 and illegal arrests2 ,whereas human rights groups have also documented cases of extrajudicial executions and torture committed by the ,cameroonian security forces and by armed separatist groups2 ,whereas women1 children1 and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to and easy prey for rights abusers2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has openly commented on the severity of the crisis in ,cameroon and following reports of rights violations by the ,cameroonian military2 ,whereas the ,united ,states halted some of its military assistance yet the number of ,cameroonians who are granted asylum in the ,united ,states has dropped steadily since #bjjg2 ,whereas many ,african countries have shut their borders to fight the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and ,,ice has deported at least #ahi ,african nationals to their countries of origin since the start of the outbreak2 ,whereas according to the ,international ,rescue ,committee1 more than #bj percent of the ,,ice detainee population is testing positive for ,,covid-#ai and given the high numbers of ,,covid-#ai1 it is likely that some of the ,african deportees were coronavirus-positive and transported the virus back to their country of origin2 ,whereas human rights groups have indicated that those deported face the risk of being arbitrarily arrested1 tortured1 and even killed upon their return to ,cameroon2 and ,whereas1 in ,october #bjbj1 members of the ,congressional ,black ,caucus and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security sent multiple letters to ,,ice demanding it stop its plans to deport over #bjj ,cameroonian asylum-seekers and several ,senators sent a letter to the ,acting ,secretary of the ,department urging the administration to halt deportations of ,cameroonian asylum-seekers3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 acknowledges and respects the responsibility of the ,united ,states to refugees1 asylum-seekers1 immigrants1 and naturalized ,united ,states citizens2 7#b7 urges the ,united ,states to uphold its commitments under the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act and international treaties related to asylum-seekers2 7#c7 urges the ,department of ,homeland ,security to-- 7,a7 stop deportations1 of legitimate asylum-seekers1 including ,cameroonians1 fleeing state oppression and mass atrocity crimes due to widespread violence2 7,b7 immediately provide for alternatives to detention for these asylum-seekers1 except in cases where a determination is made that such individuals pose a significant risk to public safety2 and 7,c7 ensure that asylum-seekers and other immigrants have access to clear information on their rights and obligations regarding their ongoing legal proceedings1 case management1 and health services 7including testing7 in a time of ,,covid-#ai2 7#d7 urges the ,department of ,homeland ,security ,office of the ,inspector ,general1 to-- 7,a7 immediately investigate allegations of civil and human rights violations committed against ,cameroonian individuals in the custody of ,,ice at the ,adams ,county1 ,winn1 and ,jackson ,parish ,correctional ,facilities2 and 7,b7 immediately pause the removals of all potential victims or cooperating witnesses of alleged civil and human rights violations until such an investigation is complete2 7#e7 urges the ,government of ,cameroon to respect the fundamental rights of all ,cameroonian citizens1 including those removed from the ,united ,states under orders of deportation1 political activists1 and journalists2 and 7#f7 calls on the international community to use diplomatic tools to address the root causes of conflict and displacement1 including by pursuing accountability for war crimes and investing in peace-building initiatives4