PT-LawMom

That’s surely what the thousands of immigrants being held at detention centers nationwide are feeling these days, especially those who have lived in this country for years as legal residents and are suddenly being locked up for petty offenses committed years ago during their youth. How many of us regret things we did as a child? But should we have to die as a result? The New York Times has a heart-wrenching story about a man whose only crime was to overstay his tourist visa. He spent many years weaving elegant $2,000 gowns in New York City. When he tried to re-enter the U.S. after a recent vacation to his homeland, he was told that he application to adjust his status had been denied and he was jailed pending a hearing.

He should have been safe there. He should have received the same basic rights we are entitled to. But immigrants, as non-citizens, are not entitled to those same protections.

As the country debates stricter enforcement of immigration laws, thousands of people who are not American citizens are being locked up for days, months or years while the government decides whether to deport them. Some have no valid visa; some are legal residents, but have past criminal convictions; others are seeking asylum from persecution.

Death is a reality in any jail, and the medical neglect of inmates is a perennial issue. But far more than in the criminal justice system, immigration detainees and their families lack basic ways to get answers when things go wrong.

No government body is required to keep track of deaths and publicly report them. No independent inquiry is mandated. And often relatives who try to investigate the treatment of those who died say they are stymied by fear of immigration authorities, lack of access to lawyers, or sheer distance.

When Mr. Bah fell and fractured his skull, it took the detention center more than 24 hours to get him to a hospital. By the time they did, after hours of watching him vomit, he was in a coma and remained that way for four months before he died. His relatives had to track him down because no one informed them. When they tried to call the detention center, they were told the center could not give out any information.

Why is our country wasting its resources on people who are trying to better their lives and not on true “criminals.” And why is the government allowing the guards in these centers to get away with degrading and shaming people this way? The government got all high and mighty after Abu Ghraib and yet look what it is doing in its own country. How can we preach basic human rights to other countries and not practice what we preach?

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 11:03 pm and is filed under Immigration . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.