Afghan family with visas released after days of detention

[Sunlei]

Last edited Tue Mar 7, 2017, 05:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: ABC Radio

The father, mother and three young children -- ages 6, 7 and 8 months -- arrived at Los Angeles International Airport last Thursday and were immediately detained. They had planned on boarding a connecting flight to Seattle to start a new life in the United States. According to attorneys fighting on the familys behalf, all five were holding special immigration visas or SIVs, which are set aside for individuals who have worked for the U.S government in Afghanistan or Iraq and could be harmed in their home country because of their service for the U.S. government.

Inlender told ABC News that the family was held for almost two days without any communication and without access to attorneys after arriving at LAX. Then, the family was separated. She said the father is at a detention center in Orange, California, while the mother and three children are being held in downtown Los Angeles.

On Saturday, the International Refugee Project filed a petition in federal court and attorneys were then allowed to meet with the family. Inlender said thats when they learned the mother and children were possibly going to be moved to a detention center in Texas.

A request for an emergency restraining order was then filed and immediately approved by a federal judge to keep the family in southern California.



Read more: http://www.wspynews.com/news/national/afghan-family-with-visas-held-in-california-attorneys-are-asking/article_a2345763-5c04-543b-b44b-c0a09e5b9ef1.html

[Sunlei]

1. The mother, according to attorneys, cant read, write or speak English. The attorneys said the famil

The mother, according to attorneys, can’t read, write or speak English. The attorneys said the family is traumatized and confused because they had the necessary visas to enter the U.S

[sakabatou]

2. WTF?!

[Sunlei]

3. Republicans are terrorizing innocent people!Costing America millions of dollars to promote hate!

The USA can NOT afford Republicans squandering Americas taxpayer money on their POGROM of hate. Get rid of trump Republicans!, you're responsible for that asshole you backed for the White House.

[yuiyoshida]

4. Shades of Japanese detention centers...

[OKNancy]

5. Can you please update your post because the headline now reads: they were released

Afghan family with visas released after days of detention

A family of five from Afghanistan, detained by immigration officials in Los Angeles for unknown reasons since last Thursday, was released and reunited shortly before a court hearing on Monday.

Attorneys representing the father, mother and three young children -- ages 6 years, 7 years and 8 months -- told ABC News the government has yet to disclose why they were held. Publicly, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials refuse to talk about the case.

All five family members held special immigration visas or SIVs, which are set aside for individuals who have worked for the U.S government in Afghanistan or Iraq and could be harmed in their home country because of their service for the U.S. government.

Attorneys said obtaining an SIV takes a substantial amount of time and vetting before arriving in the United States.

The father, known in court documents as John Doe, worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan and the entire family was extensively vetted, their attorneys said.

“This really shows this detention was unjustified from its inception,” said Attorney Talia Inlender after the hearing.

[Sunlei]

6. Thank you, I did. I love ABC Radio their news is really breaking & updated fast

[Sunlei]

7. This really shows this detention was unjustified from its inception,

[LuckyLib]

8. Are we fascist yet?

[SunSeeker]

9. The feds argued the visas only allowed the family to enter, not stay. WTF?

"Homeland Security will now be allowed to interview the family in Seattle to determine if they can remain in the U.S."

The family was ALREADY extensively vetted before they got the visas. And they got the visas because the father worked for the US Government in Afghanistan -- endangering his and his family's lives.

Why the fuck would they be granted visas if they could not stay? This is an insane legal argument made by the feds.

[Virtual Burlesque]

10. Under Hair Furor...

... arguments do not have to contain logic, just words.

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. Afghanistan isn't even on the banned list! n/t