cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/42834907
“The reason we’re here is because the government of the United States wants you to leave the United States,” Judge Ubaid ul-Haq, presiding from a courtroom on Varick Street, told a group of about a dozen children on a recent morning on Webex.
The parties included a 7-year-old boy, wearing a shirt emblazoned with a pizza cartoon, who spun a toy windmill while the judge spoke. There was an 8-year-old girl and her 4-year-old sister, in a tie-dye shirt, who squeezed a pink plushy toy and stuffed it into her sleeve. None of the children were accompanied by parents or attorneys, only shelter workers who helped them log on to the hearing.
Immigrant advocates and lawyers say an increasing number of migrant children are making immigration court appearances without the assistance of attorneys, which they say will lead to more children getting deported.
“That child will be ordered deported from this country — that could all happen without that child ever speaking with an attorney and given the opportunity to obtain representation,” Shah said. “The cruelty is really apparent to all of us out here in the field.”
holy shit
This isn’t oniony. It’s just sad.
Jesus Christ, we’re fucking monsters.
Maybe if these KIDS didn’t WANT to be in Court they SHOULDNT have Committed CRIMES!
-Republicans who Voted for the 34 FELONIES Candidate!
Why are they spending time in a courtroom when they could be in the mines?
Yeah, this is the part where the Nazis were rounding up the gypsies. That’s where we are right now.
Judge Ubaid ul-Haq should be ashamed for even presiding over that farce.
They can preside over it, but they should just have dismissed the case with prejudice for the government not providing a lawyer.
Unfortunately the law does not obligate the govt to provide a lawyer.
Edit: In immigration court. This is not a criminal court.
Edit edit: The number of people unable to comprehend the difference is giving me insight into just how bad the education system is in the states.
Edit edit edit: Apparently me explaining the facts of the matter makes me a bad guy 🤦
You are correct, and ultimately the issue is that the laws shouldn’t be different for immigration courts or immigration agents, because wrongful detention or deportation can be worse than wrongful imprisonment.
checks upvotes
Looks like lemmy is just as poorly informed as the rest of the internet
This is not a criminal court. From the article:
Unlike in criminal court, people — including adults and children — in immigration court aren’t guaranteed pro bono attorneys if their incomes fall below a certain threshold.
That doesn’t matter
The constitution doesn’t make convenience exceptions.
It’s always hilarious when idiots speak with confidence. Makes my day
The constitution specifically states criminal trials, which this is not. 5 seconds of googling would tell you as much, instead of making baseless claims here.
They didnt even need to googlr it, their own link specifies “criminal” defendants
That doesn’t matter
Apparently it does?
It doesn’t as it is a major human rights violation
In the US there are certain human rights you can’t just wave way. They are alienable by definition. It is only a matter of time before these “trials” get challenged
Haha your bio is spot on
“Yet the immigration system does not provided [sic] court-appointed counsel to immigrants facing deportation who are unable to afford a lawyer.”
https://immigrantjustice.org/issues/access-counsel
Everyone’s right. It’s horrible, but it’s the way it has been. It’s just getting and will continue to get worse.
Funny you should say that…
I would read the bill of rights. It is very important to know as a US citizen.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
I emphasized the key word there. There is no guarantee in civil or other courts (which sucks - try finding a divorce lawyer once your ex saps the bank account lol).
This is about IMMIGRATION court. They are not US citizens, and the constitution specifically states the right to an attorney is only for CRIMINAL court, which this is not.
My own reading of that amendment is that it puts requirements on the US government, period. It does not limit things to US citizens.
Of course, I know that’s not the way the courts interpret the amendment. 😔
It’s not about citizens or not. It’s limited to criminal cases. Immigration cases are a different thing.
Why did you mention them not being US citizens then? 🤔
Ballsy move kids, but will be a big blow to the lawyering industry if they win.
and we become more reddit every fucking day…
Jesus Christ, this is awful
You know what’s worse?
The amount of comments above you that are nothing but jokes and misinformation
This has been going on for many years.
While allowing any unrepresented kids to be deported is bad, it’s now twice as bad as before.
Kraft said that before the contract was terminated, she saw 30% to 40% of children in a given docket without lawyers. Now, she said, the number has increased to 50% to 60%.
If that’s true, let’s be glad it’s getting attention now.
It was getting attention in 2018 too. John Oliver even did an episode about it. People just don’t care as long as it isn’t them.
I keep caring harder and harder but that just makes me more anxious.
Also, am Canadian so it’s not like I can do anything about it.
It’s still awful, jesus
That makes it so much worse.
I feel like trump poured gas all over the dumpster fire
Yes, but more specifically, he cancelled the fire department too.
Right in the article it mentions smaller percentages of in represented kids before now, but Trump cancelled the 200 million in funding to cover legal costs.
Why are we not burning the white house down or dismantling any ICE facilities? 😬
Because if you do you will probably be killed or sent to El Salvador. Unless most people are doing it, nobody wants to take that risk.
burning the white house down
Hey. That’s our thing.
Found the Brit!
Could be Canadian, eh?
Technically it was the British who burned the White House, but it was done in retaliation for an attack on British Canada.
Too busy with protesting Tesla. 🙄
they did this in his first term. this is part of why he was elected. racists vote.
I’m just going to point out that Trump has declared that the official language of the United States is English, so I’m sure he’s going to put in another executive order saying there shouldn’t be any translators made available.
It is from the old FBI/NSA Playbook. Put them in “court” but then make sure they have no representation as that would get in the way of the ruling.
RebMasel did a YT podcast on just this topic. It’s as horrific as it sounds.
No right to a lawyer, no right to a jury of their peers
12 angry… babies?
Ohh man, now I want a full courtroom drama that only stars babies, like the movie Baby Geniuses, but they’re highly skilled lawyers.
Like it’s a serious courtroom movie, the babies a voiced like it’s a serious movie and the whole world is scaled to their size.
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Scumbags fleeing drug cartel violence who risk their lives to travel hundreds of miles to the US to grow our food, clean our toilets, build our houses, and pay taxes. The scumbags send their kids to our schools to learn our language and values and so they may grow up to contribute to our labor force in relative freedom and safety. These scumbags do this all while facing discrimination and exploitation. Absolute scumbags.
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I can’t tell if this is a joke
