Crackdown on illegal immigrants by Trump govt has kin worried

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala/Jalandhar, February 23

The fear of a mishap like the Malta boat tragedy or missing youth’s case of Panama prevails amongst the families who have recently sent their kin through illegal means to the USA.

Speaking to The Tribune on Thursday, many families feel that US President Donald Trump’s recent order to weed out illegal immigrants from the USA has put the lives of hundreds of boys in danger who are presently enroute to that country.

“With the mass deportation of illegal immigrants ordered by the Trump government, it may not be possible for unscrupulous travel agents to return money to all clients and they may ‘weed out’ some enroute to avoid any financial burden back home,” said Manjot Singh (name changed) from Begowal village in Kapurthala. It’s been six months that his son has undertaken the ‘dreadful journey’ to the USA and is somewhere stuck near Dominican Republic for the last one month.

“Earlier he used to call us once every week, but we have not heard from him since the Trump government announced crackdown on illegal immigrants,” said Singh. He said along with his son, nine more boys from nearby villages have undertaken the dangerous journey to the USA.

Another family residing in Bhadasan village is also worried over the fate of their son enroute to the USA. “We have spent over Rs 45 lakh by selling our 2 acres to the commission agent itself. He left for the USA and was stuck somewhere near Guatemala for long. Now with the recent crackdown in illegal immigrants announced in the USA, the agents have now asked our son to return,” said Ajit Kaur, a widow. She along with her daughter is now making her both ends meet by working as a daily wager in village fields.

“What will he do after coming back? We do not even have land. My son knows the situation back home and along with many others has refused to return. I am worried about his fate,” said the wailing mother.

A majority of the youths who are travelling to the USA are those seeking political asylum. While allowing political asylum, the government issues them temporary work permit so that they can work while their case is decided by the federal court.

However, the crackdown has also sparked fear amongst those who were given temporary work permit and are soon going to expire.

According to Swaran Kaur, a resident of Khassan village whose grandson Manpreet Singh stayed at a detention camp in the USA for eight months, despite making repeated appeals, the federal court in the USA had closed his case and did not allow him to reside in that country. “Until now, he was working underground, but was asked to leave with immediate effect,” said the old woman.

While wiping off tears from her eyes, Swaran Kaur said that as Manpreet’s father suffered a paralytic attack recently, he was unable to do any work and she was forced to do menial jobs at their relative’s fields. “I dig out potatoes from the fields, peel off peas, and even sell milk to make both ends meet. While I was earlier getting Rs 25 a day, my daily wage has recently increased to Rs 200 a day,” said Kaur.

She said she was finding it difficult to run the house as her daughter-in-law has to be at home to look after her paralytic husband and she is unable to do hard work due to her age.

“The Union Government must take up the matter with the US Government to plan the rehabilitation of our children in that country,” said Kaur.

Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director of the US-based North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), calling it a grave situation, said presently the situation did not seem to be worrisome, but might aggravate after the first plane of illegal immigrants landed in India.

“The mass deportation of over lakhs of illegal immigrants to a state like Punjab may hit its economy. They are neither educated nor have enough funds to resettle at home. It’s time that the Indian Government ‘welcomed them back home’ by announcing a rehabilitation package in advance so that they can be absorbed here easily,” said Chahal.

He added that the announcement of such a package was necessary to boost the morale of the illegal immigrants stuck in the USA and also of their families back home. He said the government could absorb them in some skill development programme or grant them interest-free loans for a stipulated period to help them begin some business.