Government Uses Separated Children as Leverage to Coerce Parents Into “Consenting” to Deportation

The American Immigration Council reports that among the many questions presented by the separation of immigrant families at the border is whether detained parents are being coerced into signing paperwork ensuring their deportation. Without knowing whether or when they would see their children again, many parents may have unintentionally waived their right to seek asylum in a desperate attempt to speed up the reunification process.

These life-or-death decisions are being made in a vacuum. Without access to an attorney to consult about the process or their rights, the only information available to many comes from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, detention facility guards, and rumors among detainees. Detainees without enough money on their phone cards are unable to call their children, let alone other family members, social workers, or lawyers who can shed light on their ability to both reunify with their child and fight their case.

KJ