New Report from Human Rights First and Refugees International

Human Rights First and Refugees International released a new report today: “This is an Order from Trump”: Abuse, Expulsions, and Refoulement of People Seeking Asylum.

The report documents abuse and enforced disappearances of asylum seekers in CBP custody and illegal expulsions and refoulement without legally required fear screenings, during the first few months of the Trump administration.

A full copy of the report is available here. 

Key findings include:

• Many people seeking asylum detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the southern border went days or weeks without the ability to make a phone call or have any contact with the outside world, including with family and legal counsel.
• In CBP custody, immigration officers subjected people seeking asylum to medical neglect, physical and psychological mistreatment, and unbearable living conditions that are especially traumatizing for children.
• The U.S. government has unlawfully removed and expelled to the countries they fled or to third countries – without a legally required fear screening – families and adults fleeing Afghanistan, Armenia, Ghana, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and other countries, subjecting people to potential persecution via refoulement or chain refoulement, and violating U.S. and international refugee law.

IE