Protecting due-process and ensuring that asylum seekers are treated with dignity is a moral and legal duty America accepted following the ratification of the Refugee Convention of 1951, the Convention Against Torture, and passage of its own domestic immigration laws.
ICAAD is no stranger to asylum cases and protecting the right to have rights for those seeking refuge. In 2012, ICAAD Co-Founder Jaspreet K. Singh successfully argued against the Department of Homeland Security’s right to revoke asylum without a hearing before a judge. ICAAD was contacted about asylum seekers from 13 countries including Mexico, Central America, and India who have been sent to federal correctional facilities in Sheridan, Oregon.
Those detained have had limited availability to speak to counsel, are sitting in cells 22 hours a day, in imminent fear of deportation. Surprisingly, 52 asylum seekers are from India, either Sikhs or Christians fleeing religious or political persecution. ICAAD is assisting the Innovation Law Lab and Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon to provide legal and Punjabi translation assistance during Credible Fear Interviews conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Asylum Office.
