US: Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely

The Justice Department has filed court documents with 4th Circuit Court of Appeals claiming that the same law used to detain "enemy combatants" indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and deprive them of any legal recourse to civilian courts, also extends to any immigrant arrested in the United States. According to the documents filed with the court, immigrants can be arrested as enemy combatants and have no legal standing to challenge either the reason for their arrest or it's legality.



In essence what the Justice department is arguing is that any immigrant can be arrested at any time and for any reason and can be labeled an enemy combatant and detained at Guantanamo or any other military or "secret" detention facility and that person has no right to contest their arrest or have access to legal counsel. Now, I used to think that the Chinese had the most brutal and inhumane judicial process when it comes to foreigners but at least the Chinese give that person access to a lawyer and they get to appear in court.

This is scary; if the court of appeals throws out the habeas corpus cases already filed with it, and the Supreme Court does not weigh in on the side of the Constitution, how long will it be before citizens are stripped of their right to habeas Corpus?

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WAR DETAINEES
the end of your freedom

Good if they are here against the law arrest them. They are terrorist of one kind or another and unless they come here legaly they do not belong.

Yes thats excellent news, good to see laws being introduced to discourage undesirables from coming in the first place!

Apparently, you didn't bother to read beyond the opening paragraph. THey're not talking about illegal middle eastern terrorists, they are referring to "any" immigrant, legal or otherwise. Someone visiting the country on a student visa or even those who have sought or are seeking citizenship are all the same as far as the Justice Department is concerned. They could be phillipino or german or french or british, there is no qualification in the wording of the documents. If the government decided you are trouble, presto! your an enemy combatant and off you go to a military prison with no rights to a lawyer or to a court. Still think it's a good idea?

I imagine its just a broad ranging Law as they couldnt legally? make the wording to specifically target the one Ethnic/Religous group that its aimed at so theyve just made it encompassing all but really its designed for that particular group that wants us all dead or as servants.

They're talking about non US citizens, legal immigrants need not worry, they automatically become permanent residents upon entering the country and later on citizens, illegals on the other hand do not.

Are you sure Westpoint? the article i just read clearly said Non-Citizens, made no mention about Residents not falling into the category.

err, no they don't automatically become permanent residents. It takes about 6 years on average to get a green card legally and another 10 years or more to become a citizen. It can take up to two years just to get an appointment date with the INS, a year waiting for an FBI clearance, fingerprint checking, etc. Believe me, anybody who's immigrated to the US legally has been through hell and back and jumped through every hoop to do it. They are also never elligible for government aid like food stamps - whoever sponsors an immigrant is responsible for them, even if it means losing their homes to keep the immigrant fed.

So they only know this now when everyone who have red the Military Comission Act know it? I don't think the people in the house red the bill... fire them if they don't do their job!

Has the committee convened to start the dismantling of the Statue of Liberty to ship it back to France yet?

Sounds like we may have some volunteers ready to head off to NYC with their torches and tool kits.

Has the committee convened to start the dismantling of the Statue of Liberty to ship it back to France yet?

Maybe it would take that so people can really see what is happening to their country... and I think some people would believe we ship it to France for repair!

The Bush administration maintains that al-Marri is an al-Qaida sleeper agent. The Defense Department ordered a review of Al-Marri's status as an enemy combatant be conducted if, as requested, the case is thrown out of court.

No matter what anyones opinion is of Bush and his cronies, they don't waste time and money on people they don't have at the very least strong circumstancial evidence against. If they believed this guy, who was not a US citizen and apparently subject to the conditions of his visa, was affiliated with a terrorist group and warranted arrest, they had good reason.

Does this mean they will take all the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico held them as enemies combatants also?

Then what? our tax payer money is going to feed all these people indefinitely?

I wonder when this lBushies law is going to extend beyond immigrants.

Like I say before the this laws and amendments are going to come all into place when needed to tag anybody.

Look this Law wont just be slapped on anyone they feel like, its all part of the War on Terror, A Mexican steels an apple he wont go to Jail for life, A suspected Islamofascist steels an apple, yeah he may go to jail for life.

Cool law hey !

Like I say before the this laws and amendments are going to come all into place when needed to tag anybody.

Like maybe to plug a few loopholes, Marg?

Interpol Warns of Bioterror Prevention Loopholes.

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe
err, no they don't automatically become permanent residents. It takes about 6 years on average to get a green card legally and another 10 years or more to become a citizen.

No it does not, it takes a year at the most, same goes for your SN. You have to wait 5 years though before you can apply for citizenship, and the whole process takes two more years, then you're a citizen. And last I checked they are eligible for food stamps and welfare, at least after they get their green card.

Westpoint I worked with a lawyer on immigrant law, and it does takes 5 years of residing, working and living in the US before the papers can be file for citizenship and even with that it goes on a list that can take up to more years of waiting.

The social security is the working number permit.

Goody, jail all emigrants, your an emigrant? you get life.
Welcome to United States,what are you here for sir,...... I'm just visiting not an emigrant lol.
Does this law aply to turists?
I must admit, this is one way to discurage emigrants to go to united states.
How long are people from united states going to allow this? Don't you care at all for the image of your country.
Terrorists...bla bla bla.
Let me tell you, people die every day, milions die every day by varios reasons, gun shoot, cancer, aids, old, heart atack, accidents, poisoning, by drugs, at birth, and the list go's on and on and on.
Compared to terrorism the list above is infinite +2423423234 biger , and no one has managed to stop anything.
To sacrafice liberty over an issue that is included in this list is just dumb.

There are more people dieing from aids than from terrorism.
So why doesnt the goverment ban sex?
To sacrifice liberty over anything is just not worth it.
If I decide to smoke , it is my decision.
If I decide to have sex unprotected it is my decision.
If I decide not to wave my liberty for security in the case of terrorism it is also my decision and that's how it should be.
People die, and that is what hapens, and no one can stop it, I will eventualy grow old and die if nothing hapens to me while I get old.
I may get sick, or I may have an accident or I may get blown up by terrorists, what is the diffrence?
Is one threat biger than the other?
I may walk out the dor and something may fall out from the balcony above and hit me on my head.
Why don't you guys put a big metal condom when you walk out the dor , that way you're all going to be protected and still be paranoid.

If no body can see that this is about control and only control then you've been waching too much tv.
Freedom comes hard , once you lose it it's very hard to get it back.
I'll put it this way, Fighting for freedom is harder than fighting terrorism.



[edit on 14-11-2006 by pepsi78]

Exactly Pepsi, but those in charge utilise the pussies out there who are affraid of the boogeyman to take their liberties. But they have a good excuse, when you're in a state of perpetual fear, you can't think rationaly... and the neo-cons understood this. But with the recent vote, it didn't work... so another 9/11 is surely in the works.

Originally posted by marg6043
Westpoint I worked with a lawyer on immigrant law, and it does takes 5 years of residing, working and living in the US before the papers can be file for citizenship and even with that it goes on a list that can take up to more years of waiting.

The social security is the working number permit.

Marg,

While you are saying is mostly true, you missed the point. Permanent Resident Status will allow any legal immigrant immunity from this law. The amount of time it takes to become a Permanent Resident can vary greatly depending upon the circumstances of each individual.

People who have US citizen immediate family members generally do not have to wait very long, as they are not subject to country quotas. Also, if you have a job with a US company that will sponsor you, the process is greatly accelerated. Once you have been a permanent resident for 5 years (I think) then you can apply for full citizenship.

If you happen to be some poor schlub from a thrird-world country with no family, no job, or no other compelling reason to be here, it should not surprise anyone that it will take years to obtain PR status, and that the US gov't looks at you with the hairy eyeball.

A few interesting notes:

- The State Dept. considers permanent residents to be US citizens for all practical purposes, but the DoD considers permanent residents to be foreigners.

- It is federal law that all permanent residents carry their Permanent Resident Card (aka "Green Card") with them at all times, but US citizens are not required to carry any form of ID, except where required by local statute.

- Permanent resident status can be revoked due to criminal convictions, failure to pay taxes, or if you voluntarily leave the country for more than 1 year.

Pyros