LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES REPORT CRITCIZING DETENTION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, a group comprised of attorneys dedicated to ensuring that human rights around the world are respected, issued a report on August 25, 1999 that is severely critical of U.S. practices toward asylum seekers. In the words of Eleanor Acer, Senior Coordinator of the Lawyers Committee’s Asylum Program, "Those who flee to our shores seeking protection from persecution are handcuffed, shackled and routinely spend months or longer in prisons or detention facilities. The parole system is plagued by inconsistencies, a lack of accountability, and unjust results. As currently implemented, it is inconsistent with American traditions of justice and our international obligations to protect refugees."

The report, entitled "Refugees Behind Bars: The Imprisonment of Asylum Seekers in the Wake of the 1996 Immigration Act," documents numerous shortcomings in U.S. law, policy and practice which have resulted in the unnecessary detention of asylum seekers. The report calls on the INS, the Department of Justice and Congress to take action to fix the problem, including implementing safeguards and independent review of INS detention determinations.

The report raises particular concerns about the parole practices in New York and New Jersey where two of the largest detention facilities for arriving asylum seekers are housed. Last year, and again earlier this month, asylum seekers at the detention facility in Queens, New York participated in hunger-strikes protesting the length of detention and lack of parole at the facility. Last fall, asylum seekers at the detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey launched a hunger-strike to protest restrictive parole policies.

The report is available online at http://www.lchr.org/media/asylum0899.htm.

< Back | Next >

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.