Migrants Lose Appeal Right
INS Agents to Decide Refugee Status
By Rakesh Rampertab, Staff Writer
Shortly before the end of the Spring semester, a newly revamped immigration law, drafted last year and called the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Act of 1996, came into effect with President Clinton’s approval, becoming the most recent threat to the vast immigrant community here in the U.S.
In addition to reducing the influx of people into the country, this revised and stringent law will exacerbate the already arduous life that immigrants have here. Still relatively new, this law has been severely criticized by the immigrant community and members of the judicial system for the extreme hardships it will create.
For the first time, anyone desirous of sponsoring a family of at least four members must earn at least 125% of the poverty level, or $19,000 annually. Asylum seekers must now prove within the first nine days upon arrival “credible fear” of being persecuted if deported. “Credible fear” is not precisely defined, but is left to the discretion of Immigration and Naturalization Service authorities at the borders. Unlike the previous law, this law will not require a review before an immigration judge or federal judge. The migrant/asylum seekers have no chance for appeal, even those seeking medical attention can be rejected on the spot.
This bill compounds earlier measures contained in the Omnibus Counter Terrorism bill. For the first time, immigrants accused of anti-government activity, fundraising and even sympathies may be tried by secret hearing where prosecution presents material that the accused immigrant and his attorney cannot see. This case has already been applied to both Arab dissidents and Irish political refugees.
The US is a nation of immigrants. During the 1840s and 50s immigrants came from Europe in multitudes led by the Irish fleeing famine and British imperial policies. In 1924, the American government passed the National Origin Quota Act which stipulated a quota of foreigners from each country allowed into the U.S.. This quota referred to European countries and heavily favored northern over southern European immigrants. The Act also extremely limited and even banned non-whites on a candidly racial basis.
With this new law, immigrants who live here illegally must be prepared to be deported and lose all they have amassed in the U.S.
