Federal Judge Delays Removal of Iraqi Christians
On Monday, the Trump administration suffered another immigration setback.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to suspend the deportation of about 1,400 Iraqis, saying the government is moving too quickly to return them to a country where they face a “grisly fate” including persecution and torture.
U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled the Iraqis must be given a chance to challenge their deportations so that those facing “grave harm and possible death are not cast out of this country before having their day in court.” Here is the order as well as the ACLU’s explanation. The ACLU represented the plaintiffs.
The Iraqis targeted for removal, including a mix of Muslims and Christians from the Detroit area and elsewhere in the U.S., were previously deemed eligible for removal after they were convicted of crimes or had overstayed their visas.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
“Many of the Iraqis arrived in the U.S. as children as far back as the 1980s and have few ties to their native country. The majority are members of religious or ethnic minorities such as Chaldean Christians or Kurds, who have been subjected to torture and other forms of repression in Iraq.
They face deportation because they had overstayed visas or committed crimes, typically misdemeanors such as driving under the influence of alcohol.”
KJ