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U.S. NEWS Thursday 12 april 2018

Lawsuit alleges U.S.

illegally separates

immigrant families

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER set by U.S. Citizenship and
Associated Press Immigration Services al-
BOSTON (AP) — The Trump lows people like Calderon,
administration is illegally de- who are subject to removal
taining and trying to deport orders but have U.S.-citi-
immigrants pursuing lawful zen spouses, to stay in the
immigration status who are country throughout most
married to U.S. citizens, ac- of the process of obtaining
cording to a class-action lawful immigration status.
lawsuit filed by the Ameri- The rules were designed to
can Civil Liberties Union of keep families together and
Massachusetts. encourage more people to
The lawsuit, filed late Tues- adjust their immigration sta-
day, says the administra- tus, lawyers say. Now, au-
tion is targeting people for thorities are targeting peo- In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, Lilian Calderon, center, cries as she describes her experiences
deportation who are fol- ple for deportation who are while in custody, alongside her husband, Luis Gordillo, right, during a news conference at the of-
lowing established rules for trying to do just that, the fice of the American Civil Liberties Union in Providence, R.I.
becoming lawful perma- ACLU says. Associated Press
nent residents based on "People should not have to
their marriages to Ameri- fear they may end in prison of people should be enti- "How can we provide for we know nothing of?" she
can citizens. merely for trying to play by tled to be Americans?" said our kids in a country that asked.q
Among the people named the government's own poli- Adriana Lafaille, an ACLU
in the complaint is Lilian cies to address their immi- attorney.
Calderon, a Guatemalan gration status," said Steve Others named in the com- Police release names of
living in Rhode Island, who Brown, executive director plaint include a mother be-
was detained for a month of the ACLU of Rhode Is- ing held in Boston after she 6 killed in Arizona plane crash
after she appeared for a land. and her husband attended
routine interview at the U.S. The lawsuit says President an interview to confirm SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — public reported Tuesday
Citizenship and Immigra- Donald Trump's immigration their marriage to get lawful Six people killed in the fiery that the plane was headed
tion Services to discuss her policies are being fueled immigration status. Another crash of a small plane on to Las Vegas and National
marriage. by "racial animus" against couple fears going to their a golf course in a Phoenix Transportation Safety Board
"It's not fair what's hap- people of color. The ACLU interview because the hus- suburb shortly it took off investigators were trying to
pening to us," the mother cites, among other things, band could be detained. from a nearby airport were determine if the Piper PA-
of two said Wednesday. reports that the president Calderon, who was identified by authorities 24 Comanche was over-
"We're just trying to follow- said he preferred more im- brought to the U.S. by her Wednesday. loaded and not equipped
ing a process that was im- migrants from Norway, a parents when she was 3 Scottsdale police said to carry six people.
plemented." predominantly white coun- years old, was released the victims were Erik Va- The plane went down
A spokesman for U.S. Im- try. from detention in February lente, 26; James Louis Pe- Monday night on the TPC
migration and Customs En- "When you have an ad- after the ACLU intervened. droza, 28; Mariah Sunshine Scottsdale Champions
forcement said the agen- ministration taking action She became the subject of Coogan, 23; Anand Anil Golf Course, less than a
cy does not comment on that prevents people who a final order of removal as Patel, 28; Helena Lagos, 22; mile (1.6 kilometers) north
pending litigation. are entitled under the law a teenager because her and Iris Carolina Rodriguez of the Scottsdale Airport,
The lawsuit is the latest in a to seek their lawful status in father's asylum application Garcia, 23. and burst into flames. NTSB
string of challenges to the order to stay here with their was denied. Some of their hometowns investigators were at the
Republican administration's U.S.-citizen family members, She now lives in fear of be- weren't immediately avail- crash site Tuesday examin-
aggressive immigration pol- you have to ask: Why? Is it ing deported to a country able, but police said the ing the burned wreckage
icies. because the administration that she doesn't know, she victims' families have been next to a tree.
The ACLU says regulations has a view about what kind said. notified. The Arizona Re- q