March 07, 2008

Mexico proposes hobbling U.S. immigration enforcement, ACLU approves

The ACLU offers a press release (aclu.org/intlhumanrights/racialjustice/34377prs20080307.html) entitled "International Human Rights Experts Denounce U.S. Record On Racial And Ethnic Discrimination" about a "strongly worded critique" and list of recommendations released by the United Nations' "Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination". As discussed at that link, the ACLU was one of the "human rights" groups which testified in Geneva, Switzerland.

In addition to the main report, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants - Jorge Bustamante of Mexico - released his own report "on the injustices faced by migrants and immigrants in the U.S." As discussed at the last link, Bustamante met with the Mexico-linked Peter Schey on a recent tour, and in 1995 he supported Mexican immigrants obtaining U.S. citizenship in order to push Mexico's agenda inside the U.S.

Needless to say, the ACLU is behind him all the way:

"The U.S. should heed the recommendations of this international expert and do more to create fair, humane policies and conditions for immigrant communities in this country," said Chandra Bhatnagar, staff attorney with the ACLU Human Rights Program. "It's time for the government to match its soaring rhetoric on the importance of human rights globally with a renewed commitment to protecting the rights of vulnerable immigrants here at home."

The ACLU is calling on the government to adopt the recommendations made by Bustamante in his report, including:

* Eliminating mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants and determining whether non-citizens pose a risk to society on a case-by-case basis;

* Allowing immigrants in detention the chance to have their custody reviewed before an immigration judge;

* Creating binding human rights standards governing the treatment of immigration detainees in all facilities, including the removal of non-citizen children from jail-like detention centers;

* Establishing standards for the mental and medical health needs of migrant women who have been the victims of mental, physical, or sexual abuse;

* Ending harassment and racial profiling of migrant workers by local and federal law enforcement agents; and

* Ensuring health, safety and labor protections for migrant workers and providing health benefits for migrant workers injured on the job.

The first would basically have us doing catch-and-release again. The fourth (about "migrant" women) is similar to the program that Schey collaborated with the Mexican government on. The fifth is an attempt to portray Hazleton-style laws as simply profiling and abolish such laws. The last would, of course, be a massive giveaway to not just crooked employers but to the Mexican government.

Posted to Immigration2008a at March 7, 2008 09:46 PM