Finding Deportees
Lamb Chopped
Shipmate
in All Saints
Okay, I'd be grateful if you'd put your brains in gear and give advice on this one.
We have people from the Vietnamese community who have just been picked up from places they were legally obliged to go (think parole officer's appointment, etc.) and asked: "Where do you want to be deported to?" In despair, some of them are saying, "I dunno, anywhere" and that's exactly where they are going. Their families don't know where they are. To the best of my knowledge, no information will be given them, and given past behavior of this administration, they may in fact not be KEEPING any records. They could be shoving them off a plane in Sudan, Eswatini, or who knows where. And we have no reason to think they are given money, housing, or anything to keep them afloat after being put off the plane.
Now obviously we'd like to locate these people, and try to get them what they need to survive while we attempt to re-invent America and de-fuckify the situation that has landed them in an unsurvivable situation. But there's the question: How do we find them?
That's question one.
Question two is this:
What should we say to people who are very likely to be deported without notice, in terms of letting us know where they are? What would be the most reliable and accessible way for them to tell us where the hell they are? These are people who speak some English, maybe. They are Vietnamese speakers, and range in age from 60 plus to 20.
Ideas?
We have people from the Vietnamese community who have just been picked up from places they were legally obliged to go (think parole officer's appointment, etc.) and asked: "Where do you want to be deported to?" In despair, some of them are saying, "I dunno, anywhere" and that's exactly where they are going. Their families don't know where they are. To the best of my knowledge, no information will be given them, and given past behavior of this administration, they may in fact not be KEEPING any records. They could be shoving them off a plane in Sudan, Eswatini, or who knows where. And we have no reason to think they are given money, housing, or anything to keep them afloat after being put off the plane.
Now obviously we'd like to locate these people, and try to get them what they need to survive while we attempt to re-invent America and de-fuckify the situation that has landed them in an unsurvivable situation. But there's the question: How do we find them?
That's question one.
Question two is this:
What should we say to people who are very likely to be deported without notice, in terms of letting us know where they are? What would be the most reliable and accessible way for them to tell us where the hell they are? These are people who speak some English, maybe. They are Vietnamese speakers, and range in age from 60 plus to 20.
Ideas?
Comments
Failing that I would be looking at what sort of institutions they would be able to find wherever they end up that could provide a point of contact. Churches one would hope would be a starting point, but for actually making contact an easily remembered email address is probably best.
In most countries where they might end up would they be able to speak to the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate ?
Doublethink, Admin
Sort of, but not always in a helpful way. They obviously have to make sure that, to the best of their knowledge, everyone on the flight has a right to be there. But the actual passenger manifests can have a very short life once the plane has safely landed as their main purpose is to help name and trace passengers if it doesn’t. As an infectious disease specialist, I’m trained to contact the airline ASAP if, for instance, someone on a plane has measles, as there is a time limit on finding the other passengers.
No suggestions beyond what has been given here, just prayers.
I think the Apple and email suggestions are good…
Seconded. The church option would be the most practical. There is no Vietnamese consulate in Sudan and they advise you to find one in a neighbouring country. These would be the options for anyone who finds themselves in Africa.
https://embassies.net/vietnam-in-africa
In the last eight months one has picked up other dreadful rumours over here about people disappearing into the government run maw but had not realised it was as bad as you describe.
Perhaps I should not be saying anything as I don't know how the system works and can't think of any useful advice to offer, but you and all those at risk or who have already suffered this have my ever sympathy and prayers.
💔 😢 🙏 🕯️
Re Vietnam and it's ability to help (possibly):
There's no reason at all for our people to expect any help from the country they left as refugees. In fact, the reason they are in this fix in the first place is because the last I heard, Vietnam was refusing to take deportees at all--thus the decision to dump them in Africa etc. The reason for this is because almost every Vietnamese who immigrated to America did so after serving in the South Vietnamese military during the war--which is not going to make them super popular with the current leaders of that country, you can imagine--plus serving at least three years in re-education prison camps afterward. They are unwanted with a capital U.
There are a few people who came to America as part of family re-unification--that is, as the spouse or child of someone who fits the above category. And there are also children of American servicemen--and you can imagine how popular those are, too.
So I think we can cross putative consulates and embassies off our help list. At least from Vietnam.
Some of the local Catholic dioceses must be facing the same problem. I note the San Jose diocese in the San Francisco Bay Area has information at https://www.dsj.org/evangelization/social-ministries/social-services/migrants-and-refugees/ though some of the help is specific to San Jose.
One link goes to a site https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas which includes bilingual cards in multiple languages including Vietnamese.
They do suggest checking with a lawyer and you might want to find a legal group or individual lawyers in your area that are doing pro bono work in defending detainees. If you have a lawyer who is willing but not too familiar with that area of law "The Immigration Advocates Network" provides support for lawyers who want to help deal with ICE but aren't completely on top. https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/ (this was linked off the California Bar web page on pro bono services https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Access-to-Justice/Pro-Bono).
I hope that at least some of the suggestions being made on this thread prove helpful and effective. At least, the internet makes it easier to disseminate information and news (whether good or bad, I know).
Prayers assured
Once again 🙏 🕯️