And Now This
Indefinite detentions, solitary confinement in cells with the lights on 24/7, extreme heat or cold: sounds like Guantanamo Bay, right? Well, yes, although these conditions are noted by a UN human rights expert speaking about US immigration policy as occuring at such exotic places as San Diego and Tucson, according to this article in the NY Times.
The United States is not doing enough to protect immigrants’ rights, a United Nations human rights expert said Friday. The adviser, Jorge A. Bustamante, said immigrants were often subject to indefinite detention and forced deportation.
Mr. Bustamante, an expert on migrant rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council, said he had “serious concerns” about immigrants’ condition in the United States, “especially in the context of deportation and detention policies.” ...
Indefinite detention of immigrants was “not uncommon,” the report said.
“In some cases,” it said, “immigrant detainees spend days in solitary confinement, with overhead lights kept on 24 hours a day, and often in extreme heat and cold.”
The report said that the mandatory detention of illegal immigrants must be stopped and that the United States should ensure that an independent court examined such detentions within a short time.
For nearly seven years the administration has been telling us that the Constitution doesn't apply to those being detained at Guantanamo Bay because that prison is not on US soil. Apparently the rights guaranteed in that quaint old document also don't apply to those held within the US either, especially if they are deemed illegally present on US soil and are brown.
What's next? That those rights don't exist for anybody the government doesn't like?
Shameful.
318 days.
The United States is not doing enough to protect immigrants’ rights, a United Nations human rights expert said Friday. The adviser, Jorge A. Bustamante, said immigrants were often subject to indefinite detention and forced deportation.
Mr. Bustamante, an expert on migrant rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council, said he had “serious concerns” about immigrants’ condition in the United States, “especially in the context of deportation and detention policies.” ...
Indefinite detention of immigrants was “not uncommon,” the report said.
“In some cases,” it said, “immigrant detainees spend days in solitary confinement, with overhead lights kept on 24 hours a day, and often in extreme heat and cold.”
The report said that the mandatory detention of illegal immigrants must be stopped and that the United States should ensure that an independent court examined such detentions within a short time.
For nearly seven years the administration has been telling us that the Constitution doesn't apply to those being detained at Guantanamo Bay because that prison is not on US soil. Apparently the rights guaranteed in that quaint old document also don't apply to those held within the US either, especially if they are deemed illegally present on US soil and are brown.
What's next? That those rights don't exist for anybody the government doesn't like?
Shameful.
318 days.
Labels: Immigration
posted by Diane at 3:28 AM
1 Comments:
Sec. 7 of the Military commissions act could unfortunately be read to take away the writ of habeas corpus from any non-citizen who could (by a deceptive department of justice) be categorized as "waiting a determination" as to whether or not they are an enemy combatant...
"No court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to
hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed
by or on behalf of an alien detained by the United States who
has been determined by the United States to have been properly
detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.
‘‘(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section
1005(e) of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (10 U.S.C. 801
note), no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear
or consider any other action against the United States or its agents
relating to any aspect of the detention, transfer, treatment, trial,
or conditions of confinement of an alien who is or was detained
by the United States and has been determined by the United
States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant
or is awaiting such determination.’’.
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