They came here fleeing political violence and seeking asylum. But starting as soon as this Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security could send over 150 Muslim detainees back into the very hands of those that they escaped from.
The State Department and US Embassy negotiated with the Bangladeshi government to deport these asylum seekers,1 in a likely violation of federal and international law. When they arrive home, they face a very real threat of imprisonment and capital punishment.2
We need to let officials know now that it is unacceptable for these men to be #Deported2Death.
We've all heard the vile rhetoric from presidential candidates calling for terrifying policies that target Muslims, but the sad truth is that our current policies aren't much better.
These migrants have already been subjected to prolonged detention, legal obstruction, and excessively high bonds—treatment that is becoming far more common for many Muslim detainees than others.
And while these potential civil rights violations are under open investigation by DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the very same agency is seeking to deport them, thereby relieving itself of its victims and witnesses.
In solidarity,
Fahd Ahmed
DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving)
Queens, NY
DRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving is an organization of low-income South Asian immigrants, workers, and youth that organize for racial, immigrant, worker, educational, and global justice.
Sources:
1. "US likely to deport 159 Bangladesh nationals," Newsnextbd.com, Feb 21, 2016
http://newsnextbd.com/us-likely-to-deport-159-bangladesh-nationals/
2. "Bangladesh: Year Marred by Attacks, Abductions, Killings," Human Rights Watch, Jan 29, 2015
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/29/bangladesh-year-marred-attacks-abductions-killings