The American Immigration Council recently issued a report entitled “
Deported With No Possessions: The Mishandling of Migrants’ Personal
Belongings by ICE and CBP.” In this report, the authors focus on the longstanding problem
of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) mishandling the personal property of immigrants whom
they detain. Unfortunately, immigrants are at a high risk of having the
only belongings that they may have in the world lost, stolen, or destroyed
during the detention process. While the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) has tried to correct this problem through policy changes, it has
been largely unsuccessful in doing so. As a result, additional changes
are necessary in order to correct this serious problem. In order to address
this problem, DHS issued CPB National Standards on Transport, Escort,
Detention, and Search (TEDS) and entered into Local Repatriation Arrangements
between Mexico and the U.S. governments in nine cities along the border.
Despite these policy shifts, however, Mexican detainees are just as likely
to lose their personal property during the detention process as they were
prior to the new policies. Before the TEDS went into effect, for instance,
41.5% of Mexican detainees reported that they did not receive all of their
belongings back after they had been detained. After TEDS went into effect,
however, that number remained almost nearly identical, at 41%. Likewise,
before the U.S. and Mexican governments entered into the repatriation
agreements, 40.4% of Mexican detainees did not receive all of their property
back. After the repatriation agreements were established, though, this
number actually increased to 42.4%. While losing any item of personal
property is distressing, the loss of some important items can leave immigrants
stranded in an unfamiliar town without any way to contact family members
or friends, stay warm, get food, or access government services. Many immigrants
may lose their identification cards, cash, cell phones, and additional
clothing. The loss of these items is clearly more critical for these immigrants
than for most people, which is what makes this phenomenon such a serious
problem. When you or a loved one are detained and face deportation for
any reason,
Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C.
is here to help, including securing your belongings, obtaining your release
from detention, and helping you work toward a legal status that will allow
you to remain in the United States. We care about you, your family, and
your ability to remain in the U.S. As a result, our California deportation
defense lawyers stand ready to build the strongest possible deportation
defense case on your behalf. Contact your
Oakland immigration lawyer
today and learn how we can advocate for you and your family in your deportation
proceedings.
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