Indians separated, detained in Oregon |
Dozens of South Asians seeking asylum have been detained at a federal prison in Oregon as part of President Donald Trump`s border policy. Out of the 123 immigrants that were transferred to the facility over the past month, 52 are reportedly Indian, mainly Sikhs and Christians, who say they are fleeing religious persecution, according to a report in The Oregonian newspaper. The group also includes 13 immigrants from Nepal and two from Bangladesh. The rest come from Mexico, Brazil and China, among other countries. These immigrants have reportedly faced brutal conditions in the correctional facility, separated from their wives and children and forced to stay in their cells for hours on end. Many only speak Hindi or Punjabi, and have not received help from translators or any legal aid. These detainees are isolated, have limited access to interpretation, and are at-risk of abuse in their current prison housing arrangement. On June 18, several hundred local residents reportedly gathered near the prison to protest the detention, holding signs that said ``Make America compassionate again`` and ``Keep families together.`` The asylum-seekers have been detained under the Trump administration`s new ``zero tolerance`` immigration policy, which was introduced in May.
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