INS deports refugees

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The following interview with Mark in San Francisco. The effect of a high Silverman was conducted by Socialist bond is to put enormous pressure on the Action correspondent Anne Menasche. Salvadorans to agree to be deported Silverman is coordinator of the Asylum even if they have a strong case for asyProject of the San Francisco Lawyer's lum. Their choice is between a strong Committee on Urban Affairs. The pro- probability of imprisonment or death in ject represents Salvadorans in INS cus- El Salvador, and the certainty of a protody. He is also staff attorney at the longed detention in this country if they Immigration Law Clinic at Golden Gate University Law School. In addition, he S. A.: Why is the INS doing this? is active in the Coalition for Refugee Silverman: The INS says it is saving Justice, a San Francisco-based civil money on incarceration costs. It costs rights organization which was recently $33 per day to incarcerate someone in formed to block the deportation of Cen- Oakland, and only $17 per day in FlorHence. But it is no coincidence that the INS chose a place as a detention site Socialist Action: The Immigration that is in the middle of nowhere. A sigand Nationalization Service (INS) has nificant factor for the INS is the U.S. instituted a new policy toward undocu- foreign policy considerations. The U.S. mented persons arrested in Northern government does not want attention California. Could you explain what that called to incarcerated Central American refugees. The U.S. government has Silverman: The INS is now transfer- not-and will not-recognize the validMay 12 rally organized by Coalition for Refugee Justice.

ring persons apprehended within our ity of more than a token number of Saldistrict-covering the area from Fresno to the Oregon border plus parts of The State Department's own figures Nevada-to areas outside the district indicate that negative recommendations for processing of their cases. We at the are given in 97 percent of asylum appliAsylum Project learned about it in Feb- cations. This is because if the United ruary when we noticed a dramatic drop States were to recognize the validity of in our caseload for a two-week period. these applications, it would be an Our caseload dropped from three or admission that the government which it is arming to the teeth in El Salvador is S. A.: Where are these people being nothing but a group of butchers and Silverman: To facilities in Florence, S. A.: Can you estimate how many Ariz.; Las Vegas, Nev., and El Centro, Salvadorans there are in this country? Calif. Florence is the site of a former Silverman: It has been estimated that concentration camp where Japanese- 500,000 Salvadorans are residing in the Americans were incarcerated during United States; an unknown number of World War II. Lately, they stopped whom are here illegally. Probably the sending people to Florence because of majority reside in California, princispace problems. But this is only a tem- pally in Los Angeles, but large numbers porary reprieve. They'll put them all on also live in San Francisco and the Cenplanes to Central America and clean S. A.: Are other districts affected by Silverman: In Los Angeles, they've Silverman: Any young Salvadoran or also been sending people to Florence. Salvadoran of peasant background We believe that in other areas of the faces the possibility of political persecucountry the same policy of removing tion and imprisonment by the governpeople from their communities for proc- ment, or death at the hands of the Death Squad. No matter what one's S. A.: What is the effect of removing political stand, he or she may be perundocumented persons to these isolated ceived as a guerrilla supporter, particularly if the person lives in an area where Silverman: It denies them access to there is a lot of support for the FMLN. adequate legal representation and iso- A number of our clients have had lates them from friends, family, and immediate family members killed by the support systems they have available here Death Squad. One Salvadoran had the where they live. The result for Salva- letters "EM" which stands for Esquadoran refugees is that they are denied a dron de la Muerte (Death Squad) fair opportunity to exercise their right Florence is a small isolated town 70 miles from Phoenix. The only program Silverman: Legal action is being conthere to help Salvadorans is based in templated to fight the new INS policy if Phoenix and has only one staff attorney it otherwise cannot be satisfactorily and one trained paralegal. They simply resolved. Even if victory comes out of cannot handle this volume of cases. the courtroom, in reality it will be In addition, when refugees are because of public outrage mobilized by removed to places like Florence, they groups such as the Coalition for Refuare unable to show community ties, and are therefore impaired in their ability to make a presentation at the bond hear- Coalition for Refugee Justice, 1 ing. The result is that in Florence, the Franklin St., San Francisco, average bond is three times as much as Socialist Action May 1984 Socialist Action tral American refugees.

Rosa Maria in San Franpolicy is? apply for asylum.

Mrr Socialist Action/Joe Ryan vadoran asylum applications. assassins. tral Valley.

S. A.: How many of these people would face persecution if they were deported to El Salvador? branded on his forehead.

S. A.: Is anything being to fight INS policy? gee Justice.

For more information, write the CA 94109, or call (415) 621-1155.