Immigrant rights groups remain unenthusiastic of the U.S. immigrant reforms being pushed through this year, and they have all the more been insistent on having files and other important paperwork relating to the policy publicized by the federal government. The immigrant groups believe that sufficient and concrete information regarding detention facilities, particularly in Artesia, New Mexico, have not been provided. In turn, they request to be educated of the government's plans by filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the administration.
The lawsuit was a result of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's failure to respond to the FOIA requests of the groups "in a timely manner." In light of "potentially life-threatening consequences" affecting children and women detained in Artesia, inadequate principles only make it worse.
The lawsuit was filed by The American Immigration Council, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the American Civil Liberties Union and co-counsel, the National Immigration Law Center and Jenner & Block, LLP.
"The American people have a right to know the truth about what is happening at Artesia," said ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project Director Cecillia Wang via Latin Post. "We already know that the government is turning its back on the life-threatening risks these mothers and children will face if they are returned to Central America. But the government is still keeping its new processes for detaining and deporting these families a secret. This lawless lack of transparency will cost lives. It's time for the government to come clean."
An explanation behind the government's purpose to detain mothers and kids in the facility has not been provided and this is what the immigrant rights groups have been fighting for. As per Women's Refugee Commission's Migrant Rights and Justice Program Director Michelle Brané, the facility has 2,400 beds and costs $260 million every year.
"This lack of transparency sends a strong signal to the world that the U.S. government is abandoning its obligations to provide detained families with children a meaningful opportunity to present their claims," the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild's Associate Director Paromita Shah said via Latin Post.
Though the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement remains reserved of the proceedings, ICE's Central Region Director of Communications Carl Rusnok made clear that they have already conducted town hall meetings and facility tours, which should be the perfect venues for community groups to raise their inquiries and clarifications.
"ICE hosted about 30 members of our ICE Non-Governmental Working Group at the Artesia Family Residential Center in Artesia, New Mexico, in July," Rusnok added. "We have a strong working relationship with members of this group. We have frequently provided these members information and updates about the facility and its policies."
