Deportees

Today, we heard that, after three months, the U.S. government finally obeyed the court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. Immediately, the Trump administration came up with new allegations of his involvement in human trafficking. Charges that were never mentioned before, and he has not had the opportunity to challenge the allegations in court.

His case is the face we know, but what about the other 200 deportees who ended up in the El Salvador prison? The court had ordered the administration to turn around the planes and give them the opportunity to defend themselves as guaranteed in our constitution. They sit in a jail with no legal representation, no contact with family and overcrowded conditions. It’s a jail where the only way out is to die. The press has investigated the background of many who were deported and found that most had no criminal charges and no history that indicated they were a threat. One deportee was a hairdresser from New York with not even a traffic ticket.

While I am happy that Mr. Garcia has returned, we can’t forget the others. Immigrants are being deported daily with no due process and little media attention. We need to be vigilant and stand up for the rights of everyone, lest it be you.

Thomas Kolling

Concord