I thought the problem with “illegal immigration” was that these troublemaking immigrants just don’t obey laws. If only they’d get in the right lines, fill out the right forms, they could stay! It’s the integrity of the law that’s at issue here!
Then why is the United States Attorney General trying to ignore court orders and forcibly deport asylum seekers before their court dates?
As the judge deliberated the stay, disturbing news came to light: Early Thursday morning the government had pulled two of our clients—a mother and her young daughter—out of their detention rooms and put them on a deportation flight back to El Salvador. This directly violated government promises in open court the previous day that no one in the case would be removed before 11:59 p.m. Thursday night.
Judge Sullivan was outraged, saying “it was unacceptable” that someone who had alleged a credible fear and was “seeking justice in a U.S. court” would be “spirited away” while her attorneys were literally arguing on her behalf.
He ordered the government to “turn the plane around.” Further, the judge suggested that if the situation was not fixed, he would hold contempt proceedings for those responsible—starting with Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
I’m not sure what offends me more, the horrific mistreatment of asylum seekers, or the blatant disregard for the courts. Both are very bad signs.