Liberian Deportees Jailed Upon Arrival

I found this in my inbox recently.

IRATE/First Friends has been visiting and advocating for a Liberian seeking asylum at the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey.  He was transferred to LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana for deportation 2 months ago. He was held over seven months after being issued his deportation notice. ICE attempted to deport him and over twenty other Liberians twice but did not have proper documentation, causing Liberia to reject them. He and 21 other Liberians, including one pregnant woman, were finally deported on December 1st to Liberia. He left Liberia at the age of 6. He lived as a refugee in Guinea for over 20 years.

We contacted him December 8th. They arrived at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia and were taken to the Liberian National Police headquarters. From there they expected to be released. However, they were shackled and driven for two days without food to the Correction Palace in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County. According to official statements (see attached) to journalists by Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, Chris Massaquoi, the deportees were deported from the United States for crimes such as possession of illegal substances, rape, fraud, and robbery. He stated that the "criminals" would be held for several weeks to receive counseling to help them transition back into Liberian society and that this was to protect the citizens of Liberia from these individuals committing further crimes.

We are informed that only four of the 22 deported Liberians served time for misdemeanors involving possession of illegal substances and possession of firearms. The rest were denied asylum for various non-criminal reasons and deported. Liberian immigration officials and Liberian newspapers are painting these individuals as dangerous criminals rejected from America.

Our informant states that the county jail is demanding  the equivalent of $50 in Liberian currency, for their release. Once they pay this amount, which is nearly impossible because few of the deported Liberians have anything but the clothes on their backs, they will be released. This is contrary to Mr. Massaquoi's claim that they are only being held to receive counseling to help them re-integrate into Liberian society. They are attempting to receive legal counsel from a lawyer. They were able to pool the little money they had to pay for the gas of the lawyer, who has yet to visit or give them legal counsel. They are given very little food and that the jail is very dirty. He says that may of the men are getting sick.

Please distribute this information and encourage everyone to contact their representatives in Congress and Senate. ICE has deported these individuals into sub-standard conditions that are inhumane and unjust. They have been given into the custody of a government that is misrepresenting them to their fellow countrymen. Not only must we do something to correct this situation, but ICE needs to be held accountable for the conditions into which they are deporting asylum seekers.
. . .

Sincerely,
Megan Lippincott
Legislative Intern
Interfaith Refugee Action Team - Elizabeth, IRATE

Find out more about IRATE/First Friends and their work in New Jersey here.

A recent trend in reporting on immigration issues is to take a look at what happens to someone after they are deported.  It's important to know what we are deporting people back to.  But it's out of sight, out of mind, as far as ICE is concerned.  Migrants in situations like this become persona non grata in both the sending and receiving countries, and end up spending a lot of time in jail for no good reason.

That's why DHS needs a better institutional advocate for refugees, as suggested in the Human Rights First report I blogged about yesterday.  The whole asylum system needs some serious rehabilitation.  But that's just a start.  Why would we lock up and deport someone who spent 20 years as a refugee from one of the most war-ravaged countries on the planet?

This question will become very pertinent at the end of March 2009 when Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians expires.  I hope President-elect Obama realizes that deporting Liberians en masse back to a country that doesn't want them isn't a viable option.