Reason.com
Immigration and compassion
Asylum or Arrest?
January was a good month for compassion and common sense in immigration policy. On the 15th, the Obama administration granted temporary protected status to Haitian immigrants, allowing them to remain in the United States and work legally for 18 months. The beneficiaries will be allowed to do paid work in America without facing legal harassment and may be able to send money home to help rebuild their country and support their families.
A less publicized directive from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that took effect six days earlier could have a greater impact in the long run. When a victim of persecution abroad seeks safe haven in the United States, the default response has long been to immediately detain him while his asylum claim is considered. The new directive instructs officials to use their power to release asylum seekers into the United States in “the public interest” unless there is a compelling reason to keep them detained. If an alien poses a flight risk or a danger to the community, for example, the government can continue to detain him, but officials will now have to justify such detentions to their superiors.
The public interest exception has rarely been used in the past, resulting in the wholesale detention of people fleeing persecution around the world—more than 10,000 in 2007 alone, for an average of more than 90 days. The group Human Rights First estimates that the United States spent more than $300 million detaining asylum seekers between 2003 and 2009.
More Articles by Ben Sanders
- Crackdown on immigrants, Ben Sanders, May 23, 2010
- Tear down this fence, Ben Sanders, May 23, 2010
- Employment crackdown, Ben Sanders, April 25, 2010
Most Popular Stories
- St. Louis Cops Worry That In-Car Cameras 'Are Being Used Against Them' (5.23)
- Here Are the 15 Senators Who Voted to Stop Armed FDA Agents From Conducting Warrantless Raids on America's Farmers (Not One of Them is a Democrat) (5.24)
- Reason "Hero of Freedom" Larry Flynt's Latest Stunt? Photoshopping a Penis into Mouth of Conservative Pundit S.E. Cupp (5.24)
- Plastic Bag Ban Will Put Los Angeles In Landfill (5.23)
- A Report From Obama’s “Humane” Drug War: “My son screamed for his mother for what seemed like an eternity” (5.20)
Reason RUPE: Public Opinion Survey
- Reason-Rupe: Wisconsinites Favor Increasing Public Union Retirement Contributions to Address Budget Deficit (5.25)
- Reason-Rupe Poll Finds Support for Public Union Reforms (5.25)
- New Poll: Obama Leads Romney In Wisconsin, But Gary Johnson Could Impact the Race (5.24)
- Wisconsin Recall: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42 Among Likely Voters (5.24)
- Reason-Rupe Poll: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42, Obama Leads Romney 46-36 (5.24)
advertisements
Get Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsSite comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment or disable your ability to comment for any reason at any time.
nfl jerseys|11.4.10 @ 10:45PM|#
hjet
Athletic Shoes|8.12.11 @ 5:40AM|#
so perfect