Express deportations during the pandemic

In light of the threat to public health caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, the current administration of the US decided to execute action plans to prevent the uncontrollable spread of the virus.

One of these emergency measures was to close the borders and temporarily ban the entry of asylum seekers and refugees.

Typically, when immigrants arrive at the borders to apply for asylum or attempt to cross them illegally and are detained, they must remain in Mexico or be taken to detention centers around the US.

However, because one of the triggers for a massive outbreak of Coronavirus is overcrowding, the Trump government decided to skip immigration regulations during the global health crisis and thus prevent immigration detention centers from becoming overcrowded.

Therefore, there are currently express deportations, which means that every time an immigrant is caught trying to cross the borders illegally, (s)he is deported almost immediately, with no protocols or chance to appeal the decision.

Deported immigrants are normally taken to Central American countries such as Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, inter alia.

If you need help with a deportation case, we can help you.

The Trump government’s arguments

The current administration in the US ensures that express deportations help to:

• Prevent a massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) facilities.
  However, official figures show that immigration detention centers are already crowded with positive Coronavirus cases.
• Protect ICE employees and immigrant communities.
• Prevent more immigrants from entering the country and saturating the health system.

The risks that Central America is currently facing

Lately, an incessant controversy has been unleashed due to the processes of deportations during the current juncture.

The debate is mainly that Central America is not prepared (economically, socially and politically) to mitigate the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Several critics, immigrant rights advocates and governments of Central American countries argue that:

• The infrastructure of the medical sector in Central American countries is not strong enough to counteract the effect of COVID-19.
• Local resources are limited and are enough only to protect the local population.
  With the arrival of immigrants deported from the US, there is a great possibility that the health system will weaken and become saturated.
• There are hundreds of confirmed cases of Coronavirus among immigrants deported from the US to Central American territory.
  This represents a giant threat to these third world countries. They are receiving imported cases of the virus while trying to protect the local population.
• Multiple critics around the country say Trump’s government is using the pandemic as an excuse to meet its goal of reducing immigration (both legal and illegal) in the US.

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The near future

Several petitions and lawsuits have recently been filed asking the Trump government to suspend express deportations.

Because the threat to public health is already diminishing, deportation regulations must return to normal.

It is the right time to present your immigration case with enough caution to avoid possible deportation.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.