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Asylum Seekers from El Salvador and Honduras Are Being Deported to Guatemala and Denied Legal Counsel
The cruelty is the point. Racism, xenophobia, and hatred being implemented by our country. A stain on the U.S. for all of time.
The Trump administration on Wednesday [11/20/19} began carrying out its controversial plan to deport adults from El Salvador and Honduras who are at the southern border seeking asylum to the US — and send them to Guatemala. The complicated mechanics of the plan, signed in July, has so far been shrouded in secrecy...where asylum-seekers are not entitled to a lawyer.
The Trump administration says the plan is a key element in its strategy to deter migration at the border and another method to restrict asylum-seekers from entering the US.... the unprecedented plan lacks legality, organization, and will lead immigrants to be placed in dangerous circumstances.
This cruel policy will put asylum seekers at risk. Our laws and our values compel us to help those fleeing violence and oppression. This must be reversed immediately by our next President.
This “third country” agreement with Guatemala, paired with policies that force asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico for the duration of their cases in the US and a rule that bars asylum for people who cross through Mexico to get to the southern border, nearly closes off the US to people fleeing persecution from Central America.
All asylum officers must be trained under the protocol within a week, suggesting a ramp up in the near future.
This is horrifying. Deporting legitimate asylum seekers to an unsafe third country is a violation of international law. It is flat out wrong in every possible way. This regressively cruel immigration policy continues Trump’s long racist record on immigration matters.
The implementation plan spelled out that Guatemala would provide the services, but recently there had been “confusion” as to whether that would happen, according to the materials. Department of Homeland Security officials were still scrambling to figure out critical details about the Guatemala plan. “There is uncertainty as to who will provide orientation services for migrants as well as who will provide shelter, food, transportation, and other care"....
Republican officials and voters who enable this are evil.