AILA Leadership Blog » Artesia Betrays America: Part II.
written by me Part 2 from AILA’s leadership blog about my experience in Artesia, NM.
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AILA Leadership Blog » Artesia Betrays America: Part I.
By ME! Guest Blogger on AILA’s National Leadership Blog Part I in a 3 part series about my experience in Artesia.
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Artesia 8/13/14 Such a long and tiring day. So many things that are so unbelievable. I am rarely speechless. One good thing, before the lawyers came the Machine was denying 120 credible fear interviews a week. It is now down to 34! Proof that most of those denials were blatantly wrong and purposefully meant to deny these women and children due process. Today they suddenly decided that the women could not wait in the same room any more, so they took them all away and would only bring them in a few at a time. They supposedly brought 3 people in to see us and then when we called them they couldn’t find them…they couldn’t find these 3 adults and their kids…people that are supposedly such a threat to national security that they cannot give them bonds. They just misplaced them. They make it more difficult to access things. They call the women pigs and dogs when they line up to eat. The punish them by not feeding them. The last woman i talked to was crying because her son was so hungry he was crying and she had been asking for a lawyer for weeks and they finally got her to see us and her review with the Judge is FRIDAY. She got a negative credible fear finding on her case that she clearly should have qualified for because of DV. She was begging for help. And she cried more when I said that I promised someone would meet with her and prep her and go to the hearing with her. I met with another women minutes before they kicked us out of the room and she, too had never had a lawyer during her process. She had been denied and now has a final order and is waiting for deportation. I read her interview and it was terrible. The worst interview I have ever read. I told her that she very well might not have a case but no one had ever listened to her and I promised that someone would actually sit down and listen to her story…someone who cared. She cried and cried. thanking just for listening
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Artesia August 13 2014 on Vimeo on Vimeo
via Artesia August 13 2014 on Vimeo.
Artesia Day 3: I feel a little brain dead today. It was a completely crazy day. So many volunteer attorneys and so many clients. Lots of last minute notices for hearings. Officers would come get us and say your client is in a hearing right now. We would have to run around and try to find her. The kids continue to be sick and not eating. I met with so many people today. I feel like I am about to break apart from all their sorrow. I finally read the Government’s motion against bond and their arguments that these women and their tiny children are threats to National Security. It Makes me sick at heart. I listened to 5 women with sickening stories of years of domestic violence and sexual assault by husbands or partners. My last appointment was a lady with a prior order and a horrible life story and who cried and cried. It took over an hour to get her story out. She was so desperate. I had to tell her she was going to lose and was probably going back. and she cried more. But after we talked about her case she at least has a chance of getting a finding of credible fear. Not a big chance but a chance and she hugged me and said thank you for talking to her and trying to help her. and her daughter drew me a picture. I feel a little shattered today. It has only been 2 days.
From Micki Buschart
o continue Angie’s thoughts, today ICE complained that there were too many attorneys (13) and they were going to limit the amount allowed in to 8, including private attorneys who mostly consist of shady notarios. Total bullshit. We are going to fight. Maybe they should stop deporting women and children on the fast track . There are 650 detainees in this horrible pit. This has got to stop.
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