Immigrants’ Rights Signed Away?

Details

Author(s):
  • Jennifer L. Koh
Publish Date:
December 4, 2008
Publication Title:
New American Media
Format:
Op-Ed or Opinion Piece
Citation(s):
  • Jennifer L. Koh, Immigrants Rights Signed Away?, New American Media, December 4, 2008.

Abstract

In the past several years, nearly 100,000 non-citizens have been silently sent to their home countries under a federal government program called “stipulated removal.” Most of these 100,000 were in immigration detention. A vast majority had no criminal record. An overwhelming number did not have a lawyer. Under these conditions, government officials convinced them to sign pieces of paper that allowed the government to remove them right away, without a hearing before an immigration judge. It is not a surprise, then, that advocates are hearing reports that some were pressured to sign those papers.