Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 31 January 2018
Immigrant activist: Detentions are ‘psychological warfare’

By DEEPTI HAJELA
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A de-
tained immigrant activist
freed by a judge’s ruling
said Tuesday that U.S. immi-
gration officials are engag-
ing in “psychological war-
fare” by targeting him and
other activists for detention
and deportation.
“When you look at who
they’re taking away, it is
evident that activists and
leaders are being picked
up,” Ravi Ragbir told The
Associated Press. “We
know that this is psychologi-
cal warfare they’re institut-
ing against the community
so that people will believe
there is no hope.”
Ragbir, a citizen of Trinidad
and Tobago who leads the
New Sanctuary Coalition
of New York City, a co-
alition of 150 faith-based
pro-immigrant groups, was
among a number of ac-
tivists who have been de-
tained in recent weeks as
President Donald Trump’s
administration has stepped
up efforts to deport people
with criminal records.
A federal judge on Mon-
day ordered authorities to
immediately release Ragbir
on the grounds he hadn’t This March 9, 2017, file photo shows Ravi Ragbir, executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition, being escorted by supporters
been given enough time after his annual check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in New York.
to say goodbye to his fam- Associated Press
ily. U.S. District Judge Kath- immigration officials in New seeking sanctuary from de- Maru Mora Villalpando, an chanted while he was in-
erine B. Forrest expressed York. He previously served portation in a church. An activist and unauthorized side.
“grave concern” over alle- 30 months in prison for wire activist and unauthorized immigrant from Mexico Assistant U.S. Attorney Bran-
gations he was targeted for fraud because of work he immigrant in Bellingham, in Washington state who don Waterman labeled
deportation because of his did for a crooked mort- Washington, also said she said she got a letter from the claim that Ragbir was
political activities. gage company. He said he was put into deportation ICE putting her in deporta- targeted as “pure specu-
In a statement, U.S. Immi- has been given a deporta- proceedings despite not tion proceedings despite lation” and said the gov-
gration and Customs En- tion order for Feb. 10 but having any criminal record. her not having any kind of ernment had seen no evi-
forcement said it “does not has at least one pending On Monday, Forrest ruled criminal record. dence in support of that
target unlawfully present court appeal before then. Ragbir’s sudden detention In both of those cases, ICE contention.
aliens for arrest based on The week before his arrest, was “unnecessarily cruel” has denied any retalia- Ragbir was in Washington
advocacy positions they another leader of the New and ordered his release. tion. Jurado, the agency with his wife Tuesday to at-
hold or in retaliation for crit- Sanctuary Coalition, Jean In a footnote, the judge noted, entered the U.S. ille- tend Trump’s State of the
ical comments they make. Montrevil, was arrested in wrote, “The Court also gally from Mexico and has Union address. He was at-
Any suggestion to the con- the street and deported notes with grave concern four criminal convictions, tending as the guest of U.S.
trary is irresponsible, specu- to Haiti. Montrevil was sen- the argument that petition- including driving while im- Rep. Yvette Clarke, and his
lative and inaccurate.” tenced to an 11-year pris- er has been targeted as a paired in 2007. wife was attending as the
ICE denied that politics had on sentence for selling co- result of his speech and po- Ragbir’s lawyer, Alina Das, guest of U.S. Rep. Nydia
anything to do with its ef- caine. litical advocacy on behalf claimed in a court filing Velazquez. Both congress-
forts to remove Ragbir, who ICE this month also de- of immigrants’ rights and that ICE moved to deport women are from New York
it labeled “an aggravated tained the husband of social justice.” him because its deputy City. Ragbir said sitting for
felon.” Ragbir was taken an immigrant activist in Pro-immigration activists field office director in New the State of the Union, with
into custody on Jan. 11 af- Boulder, Colorado, who have also raised concerns York, Scott Mechkowski, Trump likely to tout efforts
ter a routine check-in with got media attention after about political payback felt personal “resentment” like his call for a border wall
in other cases like that of over public protests that and limits on immigration,
Eliseo Jurado, the husband occurred during his last an- would be personally painful
of an immigrant activist in nual check-in with immigra- as an immigrant, but impor-
Boulder, Colorado, who tion officials last March. tant as a statement.
got media attention after Hundreds of demonstrators “It’s another way to have
seeking sanctuary from de- escorted him to a federal civil disobedience,” he
portation in a church, and building in Manhattan and said.q