New book documents how Trump administration prioritized deportation of Muslims – Baptist News Global

Fear gripped the African immigrant community in Ohio when Donald Trump took office in 2017 and promised mass deportations and other tough immigration measures, said activist Demba Ndiath.

Even longtime U.S. residents with no criminal records are increasingly concerned that immigrants with minor problems with their documents or expired visas are being arrested and summarily deported to the countries they once fled, said Ndiath, an organizer with the Ohio Immigrant Alliance whose family member was deported to Mauritania.

“We all woke up during the Trump era full of fear. Even those who had papers thought we could be targeted because of the color of our skin. Some of us were stopped on the street and taken to jail before it could be verified that we had the right papers,” he said during a recent press conference organized by the Immigrant Alliance and the Center for Law and Social Policy.

“It was even difficult to go to the mosque and pray, which is one of our religious duties. I remember how one by one people from our mosque leadership went missing and I heard that some of them are in Canada, some have voluntarily returned to Africa and some are in prison,” he recalled. “People who have never committed a crime, never killed anyone, never committed domestic violence or traffic violations – their dreams were destroyed by the Trump administration.”

Lynn Tramonte

The media event took place on Capitol Hill to promote Broken hope: deportation and the way homea new book by Lynn Tramonte and Suma Setty. The book, which was delivered to members of Congress the same day, contains interviews with 255 deportees who describe the trauma they suffered as a result of the violent separation from family and community.

The distribution of the book is part of the alliance’s #ReuniteUS campaign, which advocates for the return of deported persons to the United States.

Most of the book’s topics Muslim men are deported to Africa after living in the USA for years or decades

“They paint a grim picture of how the U.S. immigration system inflicts lasting and unnecessary harm on ordinary people. Many have horrific stories of the way they were treated in so-called immigration detention and deported – often in chains,” write Tramonte and Setty.

Suma Setty

Tramonte is director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and Setty is senior policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy.

“Although they did everything they could, To escape this nightmare, they have left behind a large part of themselves in the United States – their homes and jobs, their families, friends, communities, colleagues, neighbors, clients, bosses, co-workers, and their ummah (community). They want you to know that deportation is an extreme consequence for a visa violation. Deportation has taken away the heart of their relationships. It has taken away their sense of security and peace. The United States is their home and they want to return.”

Many were deported after raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at their workplaces. Others were initially arrested during traffic stops or routine ICE checks.

Broken hope also documents the impact of deportations on families left behind in the U.S., including spouses working longer hours to compensate for lost income while supporting those deported. One of the men interviewed reported that his wife “has to support us alone. She has to pay the mortgage. I can’t provide for or protect my children. What happens when I’m gone?”

Tramonte and Setty dive in He addressed the blatant racism that characterized Trump’s immigration strategy, pointing to his calling African countries and Haiti “shithole countries” and his open hostility toward Muslims and immigrants of color.

Under Trump, deportations to Africa increased by 74 percent and to the Caribbean by 48 percent.

“Average annual deportations to Muslim-majority countries also increased by 38% during the Trump administration.”

“Average annual deportations to Muslim-majority countries also increased by 38 percent during the Trump administration, while deportations to non-Muslim countries decreased by 22 percent.”

During Barack Obama’s presidency Deportation enforcement targeted immigrants who posed a threat to border security, public safety or national security. Trump repealed that policy and instead implemented a policy that did not prioritize candidates for deportation, Tramonte and Setty explain.

“Suddenly, anyone who was eligible for deportation became a target of ICE,” including the people interviewed for the book and others “who had been in the country for years or even decades and regularly checked in with ICE offices to check their status. Previously, they were not considered a priority for deportation as long as they continued to contact ICE when necessary. That changed immediately with the Trump administration’s executive order.”

President Joe Biden implemented a policy similar to Obama’s, adding deportation protections for immigrants who were eligible for work permits, but the authors call on the current administration to go further and establish a process to re-enter those deported during the Trump era.

“Instead of accepting this injustice, The government should use its authority to bring them home,” Broken hopeargued. “Instead of fearing the political consequences of a generous return policy, executive branch officials should recognize that creating a pathway to return is a humane, family-oriented, and positive action that benefits the people who have lived in and contributed to the United States for decades and their family members, including many U.S. citizens.”