52 Indians detained in ‘inhuman conditions’ in Oregon in US: Activists

Smita Sharma 

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 22 

Three men were kept in a small cell for more than 22 hours a day. No access to legal help. Lawyers willing to help pro-bono, but authorities say no. Made to wear shackles and forced to eat food in cells next to open toilets. No idea about where their families might be or if and when is a next hearing in court. Two men shot at but not provided medical care.

Shocking details have emerged of the sub-human condition in which 123 detainees, including 52 Indian men, mostly from Punjab, are reportedly being held at a federal prison in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The Tribune cannot independently verify the claims. But it has learnt through various respected legal and voluntary organisations working on the ground of the inhuman condition in which these 123 detainees from 16 different countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal and Brazil, are held up reportedly at the Sheridan detention centre in Oregon.

“The detained immigrants are from 16 countries and speak 13 languages. We believe many of them have been detained since mid-May after seeking asylum at the port of San Diego,” said Jai Singh, Field Organiser for social justice non-profit organisation APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon) in response to The Tribune’s query. 

Facing criticism and pressure domestically, even within his own Republican Party, as well as globally, President Donald Trump has backed down on the controversial immigration order separating young children from families. However, the fate of 1,600-plus illegal immigrants detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the crackdown remains unsure.

The largest group at the Sheridan facility are the 52 Indian men, most of them Sikhs or Christians seeking asylum to avoid ‘religious persecution’ back home. The detainees have not been allowed visits by faith leaders or meaningful access to attorneys in violation of the US Constitution, federal immigration laws and international treaties, according to lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Oregon (ACLU of Oregon), Innovation Law Lab, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association Oregon Chapter (AILA Oregon). These lawyers, in a joint letter, have said that while the courts decide the fate of these men’s asylum claims, ICE must ensure that the federal prison complies with current civil detention standards. 

According to civil organisations, there are only four visitation rooms and the prison’s teleconferencing system is broken. “They are only allowed out of their cell for 15 minutes at a time, three times per day. They are forced to eat in their cells next to an open toilet. They are made to wear orange jumpsuits. They were put in ankle and wrist shackles when they met the federal public defender,” said Jai Singh.

According to some democrat lawmakers from the state who visited the detention centre on Saturday, other non-immigrant prisoners get far more time out of cells compared to the Indian detainees.

Ministry of External Affairs sources underline that cases of asylum-seekers are different from diaspora arrested in foreign countries under criminal charges. Officials claim that some of these men could be seeking asylum under the pretext of ‘religious persecution in India’ only to avoid the law of the land for crimes they might have committed.

However, according to sources, K Venkata Ramana, Consul (Community Affairs, Information & Culture) at Consulate General of India, San Francisco, is seeking consular access to the detainees in Portland. The official will try and ascertain the details of the 52 Indians at the Oregon centre. “There should be no deportations until all 123 men have meaningful access to lawyers,” said Mat dos Santos, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon.

Following the report on 52 Indians detained in alleged inhuman conditions, the Indian Embassy in the US in a formal statement said, “We have established contacts with both the detention facilities. A consular official has visited the detention facility in Oregon and another one is scheduled to visit the detention facility in New Mexico. We are monitoring the situation.”

“They are allowed out of their cells only for 15 minutes at a time, three times per day. They are forced to eat in their cells next to an open toilet. They are made to wear orange jumpsuits. They were put in ankle and wrist shackles when they met the federal public defender,” said Jai Singh. According to some democrat lawmakers from the state who visited the detention centre on Saturday, other non-immigrant prisoners get far more time out of cells compared to the Indian detainees.”