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Rob_Hugo@PortNW.
Rob_Hugo@PortNWI just finished attending a special screening at CSULB about a documentary on the issue and/or deportation of 3 Cambodian men who were legally invited to stay in the United States many years ago. The film followed the journey of 2 men who were actually deported, and 1 other who is still in the states, facing the fear that any day now, he would be ordered to pack his bags and leave home for a another 'home' he can no longer remember.
There was an immigration law passed in 1996 that declared aliens in the U.S. may face deportation for any criminal actions committed, despite having already served time for those actions. All 3 of the men had gone to prison as a consequence for their felony, but was ambushed by INS 4, 6, 8 years later when they either tried to applied for citizenship at the local INS office by a wife or mother, or whether they were eating at home when they received the news. One of the guys had actually gone to apply for citizenship at the encouragement from his wife, when INS actually detained him. He spent several months in a deportation facility, awaiting the verdict on whether or not he can be trusted to stay in his American town when the authorities release him. He already knew that he was going to be deported--it was just a matter of time.
One of the person interviewed representing the Deportation part of INS justified the immigrant law by stating that to live in the U.S. is a precious gift that is granted to people. When someone breaks a law, they should not be upset that that gift will be taken back. [hmmm...]
These guys are former gang members who have either tried to redeemed themselves in the eyes of the American society, or have tried to contribute to the community by coaching Little League baseball or raising a family and working and providing a portion of their income to Uncle Sam. Unfortunately, redemption does not apply to this immigration law. It does not matter how severe or light the crime was, whether you killed a person or disciplined a child and was accused by the state as a child abuser. Nothing matters because you have just violated this law and will face deportation.
This law does not apply to only Cambodians, but any immigrant. People from Central America also faces the same issue of deportation.
IS THIS JUST? I kept thinking to myself the entire one and a half hour that this is not right. This HAS to violate some kind of existing rights...right? According to the U.S., obviously non-citizens do not have the same rights as citizens. But consider this, these people have lived here 20 years of their 25 years on earth and to send them back 'home' is discrimination. How can you expect a person who grew up with American values to adjust abruptly to a completely different country with completely different values. Not to mention the difference in political and social systems.
One of the speakers on the panel presented after the screening is now awaiting deportation. The U.S. wholly ignored the fact that the man is Laotian, and will send him to Cambodia because he was born there. He has no relatives there, but they are not concerned.
What irks me is the fact that these immigrants have already done their time in prison and is still being punished years later for crimes committed in the past! Argh!!! What IS going on?!? I understand that the U.S. is traumatized because of terrorist attacks, but this is ridiculous.
Moreover, I firmly believe that the United States owe it to themselves to provide shelter for the Cambodians and many other immigrants because the U.S. has an infamous role in creating problems in non-developing countries. There's no doubt that one of the main reasons for Reagan to allow immigration of Cambodians to the United States was to atone for the bombings of Cambodia, initiated by the Nixon administration. Now that 30 years has passed, is the U.S. thinking that people have forgotten about the incident and that it's okay to send these people back? Come on, come up with a better excuse.
That fact that the immigration law makes completely NO sense explains the disregard for human rights and shows the government to be indifferent to the plights of its residence.
As for INS using the card about living in the U.S. being a privilege--sure it is, but to announce just recently that immigrants who have committed or committs a felony will be deported; that one comes out of the blue. At least give people a warning before doing something like this. What if a former criminal has become a saint? Does his changed life not matter?
Another thing that bothered me is the fact that the U.S. did not have programs to initiate Cambodian refugees or any other group on working up to achieve citizenship. My parents and older sister were refugees and they were dropped at a Mormon church and told to assimilate. They all have citizenship now, but that was thanks to the urging of Cambodians who have immigrated years earlier. I personally think that if the U.S. had any intention of allowing permanent aliens to become citizens, they would have develop some kind of program that will educate immigrants for this process from the get-go. Unfortunately, I am a skeptical person, and I think that people have to have a certain ethnic background as well as economic ties are what interests the U.S. and will gain its respect. I just don't understand this push for deportation. Please, anybody, explain this to me.