Even if in the US, the raids so far, not in the extent have been held as announced, many immigrants are afraid and hide. In a DW Interview, Grace Meng of HRW warns of human rights violations.
Deutsche Welle: How extensive is the announced raids of immigration and customs enforcement ICE, which should take place on Sunday?
Grace Meng: There have been reports that police officers have knocked on the doors of people, but the people Concerned have not opened your doors, because the police had no arrest warrants. There were also rumors of ICE-action in U-Bahn gave trains in New York City; but which proved to be wrong. It seems so, as the raids – at least on the weekend, had not as feared took place.
The Whole thing had a major effect. The people were afraid and many things remain left, you would have done otherwise. And this is really just a day of many that shows how it is to live as an immigrant under Trump.
Why do you think they have not been the large-scale raids?
The government representative had told the media that the raids would take place on Sunday, also said that you can take place in the course of the week. We cannot, therefore, be assumed that they have been canceled. According to reports, officials felt they had lost the element of Surprise, because the raids were announced in advance. Perhaps you have decided so, but not on Sunday to start, because they expect that many people would hide.
What do you expect for the Rest of the week?
I assume that the people who have been hiding, do not remain submerged, allowing more people to bring their children to school or to the doctor that you limit your activities outside the house to a Minimum.
Grace Meng is Deputy Director of the US program at Human Rights Watch
Certainly the intensity of the fear, the sense of the people at the Moment is a direct result of the announced raids – but not the basic anxiety, the decision not to call the police, if you are the victim of a crime, or to take any medical help; these decisions have been taken by the immigrants, not only this week, but a long time ago, because they are afraid to be deported.
What do you think of these raids?
We are deeply concerned about the immense human rights violations, which would go hand-in-hand with the announced raids. When thousands of families to be arrested, then we expect to see a variety of such violations: more family separations, more family detention. We expect that people have to suffer, and that’s after you had to go through a process before the immigration court, the offers are often not a fair hearing.
And we would see, as I said, that Affected take essential, important services for their children U.S. citizens. The right to education is an absolute fundamental right that applies to all children, regardless of their Status. Parents have decided not to send their children to school. This is what happened in the past and it will happen in the future. This has strong consequences for the children.
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On patrol with U.S. border officials
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On patrol with U.S. border officials
US President, Donald Trump does not want to deport thousands of immigrants, he also wants to ensure that from the outset, fewer people come to the United States. A new asylum regulation States that migrants, who have come through a different country in the United States can apply for in the United States no asylum more. That would mean that you would have to come from either Mexico or Canada, or directly in the USA flying, to be able to apply for asylum. What do you think?
We are deeply concerned about the abuses that we expect if (the Mexican authorities) to focus on to prevent migrants from Central America to the next trip to the USA. The United States is obliged according to its own laws and under international law to accept asylum seekers and to ensure that you will get a fair hearing. The countries in the Region, through which the migrants travel often, are not able to offer asylum seekers necessarily sufficient protection. The United States should not turn asylum-seekers in other countries. It does not relieve you of your international responsibility to protect these people.
I’ve met people who have fled their countries because they were interpreters for the U.S. military, and through Central America and Mexico, traveled (to apply in the USA, asylum). If you are fleeing persecution, you often get a visa to come on a direct path to your destination. It is another attempt, with the Trump Administration is trying to prevent people from their right to make asylum claims.
Grace Meng is Deputy Director of the US program of Human Rights Watch and conducts research on the topic of human rights, with a particular focus on the rights of immigrants in the United States.
The Interview was conducted by Carla Bleiker