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

  • @[email protected]
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    1154 months ago

    Maybe if these KIDS didn’t WANT to be in Court they SHOULDNT have Committed CRIMES!

    -Republicans who Voted for the 34 FELONIES Candidate!

      • @[email protected]
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        24 months ago

        Oh just fuck off with that DEI shit. I am so sick of being put down because I’m a white man in America. Just one more job i wouldn’t do being taken away from me by illegals.

        I volunteered at a soup kitchen once and the place was filled with able body white libs who are too lazy to work. Send them to the mines first.

        I mean, I assume that’s who was there taking the handouts. I couldn’t actually show up that day. But I did volunteer and least.

        Point is, there are plenty of Americans that should be forced to work in the mines first.

        *just as an aside, I’m trying my hand at being maga. Wanted to practice some first, not sure this comment is angry or stupid enough. Any pointers appreciated.

      • @[email protected]
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        44 months ago

        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%.

        • @[email protected]
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          24 months ago

          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.

        • @[email protected]
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          374 months ago

          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.

          • @[email protected]
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            104 months ago

            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.

    • Angry_Autist (he/him)
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      34 months ago

      You know what’s worse?

      The amount of comments above you that are nothing but jokes and misinformation

  • @[email protected]
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    1554 months ago

    Yeah, this is the part where the Nazis were rounding up the gypsies. That’s where we are right now.

          • oppy1984
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            44 months ago

            Technically it was the British who burned the White House, but it was done in retaliation for an attack on British Canada.

            • @[email protected]
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              34 months ago

              I feel like that’s pedantic in a similar way to saying technically it wasn’t Americans who declared independence

              • oppy1984
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                14 months ago

                Wait I think you just accidentally agreed with me. If the British declared independence from Britain in order to become Americans, then it was British troops who attacked D.C. those troops were just stationed in Canada when the attack took place.

    • @[email protected]
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      34 months ago

      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.

  • aramis87
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    314 months ago

    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.

  • @[email protected]
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    44 months ago

    Human beings in positions of power need to die for the acts that will be committed under this fascist regime. Every person contributing to this happening has a name and an address.

  • Deceptichum
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    864 months ago

    Judge Ubaid ul-Haq should be ashamed for even presiding over that farce.

    • toiletobserver
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      784 months ago

      They can preside over it, but they should just have dismissed the case with prejudice for the government not providing a lawyer.

      • AwesomeLowlander
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        4 months ago

        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 🤦

        • @[email protected]
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          134 months ago

          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.

        • Possibly linux
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          44 months ago

          Funny you should say that…

          I would read the bill of rights. It is very important to know as a US citizen.

          • AwesomeLowlander
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            224 months ago

            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.

            • @[email protected]
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              34 months ago

              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. 😔

              • AwesomeLowlander
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                54 months ago

                It’s not about citizens or not. It’s limited to criminal cases. Immigration cases are a different thing.

          • @[email protected]
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            34 months ago

            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).

          • AwesomeLowlander
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            434 months ago

            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.

            • Possibly linux
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              64 months ago

              That doesn’t matter

              The constitution doesn’t make convenience exceptions.

                • Possibly linux
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                  24 months ago

                  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

              • AwesomeLowlander
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                374 months ago

                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.

    • Caffeinated_Sloth
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      244 months ago

      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.

      • DUMBASS
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        4 months ago

        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.