... Thousands of people in ICE custody have been effectively "disappeared" by the U.S. government, according to new reporting by The Associated Press.
The names of immigrant detainees with final orders of removal have vanished from the Online Detainee Locator System, a database that lets families and lawyers find out where detainees are.
Nearly 16,000 people booked into ICE detention in July were subject to final removal, the AP noted " more than one-third of the overall bookings.
This policy of hiding the location of some detainees reflects the cruel and secretive nature of the administration's immigration crackdown. It raises serious logistical and legal issues, and should be recognized for what it is: an assault on due process and constitutional rights.
To be clear, this move does not apply to all detainees " just those with a final order of removal. A final order of removal is a document issued by an immigration judge that directs a non-citizen to leave the U.S.
However, persons with final orders of removal may still have options to re-open their cases or file appeals. Some people with final orders are eligible for humanitarian relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which prohibits sending people back to countries where they would face persecution or torture. Many people are issued final orders because they unintentionally missed a court date, or because a government notice was sent to the wrong address.
That's why the locator system is important. The system is a lifeline for detainees, their families, and their legal counsel. Families use the system to get in touch with their loved ones; immigration attorneys use it to set up meetings with their clients and gather evidence for cases.
As if it were not enough to wipe people's names from the online locator, the Washington Post reports that immigration officials are now barred from revealing the locations of detainees to their relatives or attorneys over the phone. This puts the burden of communication on detainees. Yet it is not easy for people in detention to make phone calls to the outside. Calls are expensive, and often involve long lines and facility restrictions. ...
