Physicians for Human Rights
Using science and medicine to stop human rights violationsBlog
S-Comm’s Unintended Side Effects
Although the explicit goal of Secure Communities is to improve public safety by increasing deportations of undocumented criminals, in practice the program catches many non-criminals in its net and can actually decrease public safety by eroding trust between immigrants and local police. Mistrust between police and immigrant communities can lead to underreporting of crimes, leaving these communities vulnerable to violence and impairing officers’ ability to investigate and solve crimes.
Balancing National Security Concerns with the Right to Seek Asylum
A June 16 decision filed by the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit (comprised of DE, NJ, and PA) offered a ray of hope to asylum seekers facing the daunting and ambiguous “national security bar.” The decision prevented the deportation of two Uzbek men and likely saved their lives. On a larger scale, the decision is a step forward for all those seeking asylum from torture who would otherwise be barred because of tenuous national security concerns.
Secure Communities Goes Yet Another Step Too Far
In June, PHR blogged about its concerns that the Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) “enhancements” to its controversial Secure Communities (S-Comm) program were merely cosmetic and would do nothing to protect people who are unfairly swept up in its overly broad net. Now, it seems that those concerns are well-founded.
“Keep Our Communities Safe Act” is Dangerous and Unconstitutional
H.R. 1932, the deceptively-titled “Keep Our Communities Safe Act”, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago despite strident criticism of its sweeping provisions. The Act is a threat to the fundamental tenet of due process, to the human rights of asylum seekers, and to fiscal responsibility.
LGBT Detainees at Increased Risk for Abuse and Mistreatment
Several egregious examples of abuse of LGBT detainees, including sexual and physical assault, prolonged isolation, and withholding of medical care, have been documented in two reports this year.
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