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Rights Working Group & Detention Watch Network Telephonic Briefing w/ Alison Parker
July 18, 2007


On July 18, 2007, Alison Parker, Senior Researcher with the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, briefed members of the Rights Working Group and Detention Watch Network about her research regarding U.S. deportation policy and its impact on the human rights of immigrants. The report is entitled, “Forced Apart – Families Separated and Immigrants Harmed by United States Deportation Policy.”


Highlights:
U.S. deportation policy violates the right of individuals in deportation proceedings to a balancing hearing where a judge considers factors such as military service, U.S. citizen
family members, and the individual’s length of residency in determining whether an individual should be deported. U.S. laws violate the notion that consequences for crimes should be proportional to the offense. Deportation may be considered an extreme punishment for minor crimes. A comparative legal analysis of 61 governments around the world, including western
European countries, found that many of these countries take into consideration factors like military service, trainings, employment, etc. before deporting individuals. The U.S. is out of step with other democracies around the world in this regard. The U.S. is violating its obligations under the Refugee Convention. The Convention
states that people should not be sent to places where they fear persecution. Under U.S. law, asylees who commit certain crimes may face deportation which is in violation of the non-refoulement obligation under international law.


Important Statistics:
64% of those deported in FY 2005 were deported for nonviolent crimes (i.e., drug possession, illegal re-entry, etc). This goes against the popular belief that people are always deported for violent crimes. An estimated 1.6 million U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, and undocumented children and spouses are left behind when their family members are deported (this information is based on ICE statistics and U.S. Census statistics).
540,000 of the 1.6 million family members left behind are U.S. citizens.


Key Recommendations:
Restore balancing hearings that allow judges to consider the circumstances of individual
cases in deportation cases.
The government should provide accurate statistics regarding detention and deportation.
U.S. immigration policies should be aligned with the Refugee Convention and other
international laws.
Refugees should receive naturalization information in their language.
The report can be downloaded from www.hrw.org or you may contact Alison Parker at
parkera@hrw.org to request a copy of the report.

CIR Lobby Day In DC: Caloy In His Own Words

 
Building America"s Future Together: Immigration Reform Now.  It was a national mobilization of Asian Pacific Americans in Washington DC last April 30 and yesterday and I was privileged to represent the AFIRE. The Korean group (NAKASEC and KRCC) were the most visible in all the preparations and activities. Of course, they were the proponents and host.
 
        The  first day: The first activity was held at  the Chinese Community Church at 500 I St NW. The cultural opening was great at 4 pm with the Korean drummers to set the mood. In gist: the program was divided into communites speaking out, why are we here together and our community, a legislative update, stories from our community.  The speakers were all knowledgeable and the immigrants' fortune and misfortune from their heart and soul.  70 were Koreans the rest were Chinese, Japanese, Cambodians, Indians and Filipinos. I'm not  sure whether there was Vietnamese and any from other regions.  Among the Filipinos I saw from NAFFA were Ernesto Ramos, Ramon de la Paz, Ben de Guzman, Jon Melegrito and a Filipina with a foreign name - Breignan? I have a group picture with them. Dinner and fellowship with great food.   The extra and bonus - Ms. Annelou Saez, a classmate of my wife, visited me.  Now I know why coffee is best in Washington. They are not cheap, he he he.
 
      The second day: lobbying day and rally for a just and humane immigration reform. It was done near the Taft Memorial Park near the Capitol. I was sked in the afternoon so my morning was free to see the White House and have a pictures. Rally was at 12 noon with politicians Honda, Schakowsky and Gutierez. Same thing you heard - keep families together, rights and liberties for all, together we are America.  At 2pm, we visited the office of Judy Biggert. I was with Fred Tsao, policy director of the ICIRR or Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights and Daisy Liu of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association. Mr. Brian Colgan took care of us. The STRIVE Act and Dream Act (for the 2 Korean youth) was our topic. We did our good job.  I emphasize the Filipino backlog and having the longest [one] and family reunification.  The two Koreans were more on the Dream Act. Just wondering, I have not heard Filipinos on this. Only the Mexicans and Koreans. Does this mean Filipinos can send their kids to private universities in college and do not avail of public universities?  I  will relay details later.
 
Caloy