100 Indians held in USA under new immigration law |
At least 100 persons of Indian origin are being held at two immigration detention centres in the United State of America and the Indian Missions have contacted the Centres. Most are from Punjab state and detained for illegally entering USA through the border with Mexico. Around 40-45 Indians are in the New Mexico state while 52, mostly Sikhs and Christians, are in Oregon. The Indian Embassy said a consular official has visited the detention facility in Oregon and another will visit New Mexico. More than a dozen Indians are being held in New Mexico for months, and others were brought in about a week ago. Most detainees at the federal facilities are asking for asylum claiming that they experienced violence or persecution in their home country. A report said Satnam Singh Chahal, of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), believes that thousands of Indians, with an overwhelming majority of them being from Punjab, are languishing in jails in the USA. Reports said during 2013-15, more than 27,000 Indians were apprehended at the US border, of these over 4,000 were women and 350 were children. Many are still languishing in jails.
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