US Bishop calls for reversal
of expanding migration policy
 |
| A man rides a bicycle nest to a Mexiczn National Guard soldier near the US border |
The Bishop of Austin, Texas, and Chair of the US Conference
of Bishops’ Committee on Migration calls on the US Department of Homeland
Security to reverse its decision to expand its policy of so-called “fast-track
removal” of illegal immigrants.
By Vatican News
This week the US Government significantly expanded the use
of what it calls the “expedited removal” process for immigrants suspected of
being undocumented.
The process also applies to migrants who cannot prove to an
immigration officer that they have resided in the United States continuously
for two years or longer.
What the Bishop says
In a statement issued on Thursday, Bishop Joe Vàsquez of
Austin, Texas, and Chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, calls for
reversing the expansion of the expedited removal process, citing family
separation and lack of due process among the Bishops’ concerns.
Expanding the fast-track removal process, writes Bishop
Vàsquez, “will have terrible human consequences”.
The new policy, he says, “will allow for the deportation of
many more individuals without providing them an opportunity to seek legal
counsel and have a hearing before an immigration judge”.
What the policy involves
Even those migrants who have long-standing ties to the US
and have been in the country for more than the requisite two years, may now be
subjected to expedited removal if they are unable to prove such to an
individual immigration official.
The implementation of this new policy, writes the Texas
Bishop, “will have unjust and unacceptable results and lead to more widespread
family separation”.
From October last year until last month, the southern US
Border Patrol has apprehended more than 688,000 people, over half of them
families and unaccompanied children.
The vast majority of those attempting to enter the United
States via the Mexican border come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador:
all countries suffering from widespread violence and poverty.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét