SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
New report underscores growing concerns over the humanitarian implications of record-high deportations under the administration of President Barack Obama.(Photo: Annette Bernhardt/flickr/cc)
Reporting Exposes Deadly End for Asylum Seekers Deported by US
According to Guardian investigation, US is forcibly expelling refugees to Central America, where some are murdered upon their return
Oct 12, 2015
The U.S. government's harsh immigration policies can have deadly consequences for refugees and asylum seekers who are forcibly deported back to violent conditions in their countries of origin, a chilling investigation published Monday by the Guardianreveals.
For their expose, journalists Sibylla Brodzinsky and Ed Pilkington confirmed three cases in which men were murdered soon after being deported by the U.S. government to their hometowns in Honduras.
One of these men was Jose Marvin Martinez, who was 16-years-old when he fled San Manuel a few months after his brother was shot and killed, reportedly by gang members. In May 2013, Martinez was apprehended in Laredo, Texas by U.S. border patrol and was forcibly deported in August 2014.
"On 14 December--four months after he was deported--Martinez, who was known locally as El Chele or 'Blondie,' was sitting outside a corner shop back in San Manuel when a gunman opened fire from a drive-by truck, killing him," according to the article.
While their piece explored just three examples, the authors stated that their findings are "just the tip of the iceberg." The article references a soon-to-be released academic study which found that, since January 2014, up to 83 people deported by the U.S. have been killed after returning to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"These figures tell us that the U.S. is returning people to their deaths in violation of national and international law," said Elizabeth Kennedy, the San Diego state university researcher behind the forthcoming study, in an interview with the Guardian. "Most of the individuals reported to have been murdered lived in some of the most violent towns in some of the most violent countries in the world--suggesting strongly that is why they fled."
The findings underscore growing concerns over the humanitarian implications of record-high deportations under the administration of President Barack Obama.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
The U.S. government's harsh immigration policies can have deadly consequences for refugees and asylum seekers who are forcibly deported back to violent conditions in their countries of origin, a chilling investigation published Monday by the Guardianreveals.
For their expose, journalists Sibylla Brodzinsky and Ed Pilkington confirmed three cases in which men were murdered soon after being deported by the U.S. government to their hometowns in Honduras.
One of these men was Jose Marvin Martinez, who was 16-years-old when he fled San Manuel a few months after his brother was shot and killed, reportedly by gang members. In May 2013, Martinez was apprehended in Laredo, Texas by U.S. border patrol and was forcibly deported in August 2014.
"On 14 December--four months after he was deported--Martinez, who was known locally as El Chele or 'Blondie,' was sitting outside a corner shop back in San Manuel when a gunman opened fire from a drive-by truck, killing him," according to the article.
While their piece explored just three examples, the authors stated that their findings are "just the tip of the iceberg." The article references a soon-to-be released academic study which found that, since January 2014, up to 83 people deported by the U.S. have been killed after returning to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"These figures tell us that the U.S. is returning people to their deaths in violation of national and international law," said Elizabeth Kennedy, the San Diego state university researcher behind the forthcoming study, in an interview with the Guardian. "Most of the individuals reported to have been murdered lived in some of the most violent towns in some of the most violent countries in the world--suggesting strongly that is why they fled."
The findings underscore growing concerns over the humanitarian implications of record-high deportations under the administration of President Barack Obama.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
The U.S. government's harsh immigration policies can have deadly consequences for refugees and asylum seekers who are forcibly deported back to violent conditions in their countries of origin, a chilling investigation published Monday by the Guardianreveals.
For their expose, journalists Sibylla Brodzinsky and Ed Pilkington confirmed three cases in which men were murdered soon after being deported by the U.S. government to their hometowns in Honduras.
One of these men was Jose Marvin Martinez, who was 16-years-old when he fled San Manuel a few months after his brother was shot and killed, reportedly by gang members. In May 2013, Martinez was apprehended in Laredo, Texas by U.S. border patrol and was forcibly deported in August 2014.
"On 14 December--four months after he was deported--Martinez, who was known locally as El Chele or 'Blondie,' was sitting outside a corner shop back in San Manuel when a gunman opened fire from a drive-by truck, killing him," according to the article.
While their piece explored just three examples, the authors stated that their findings are "just the tip of the iceberg." The article references a soon-to-be released academic study which found that, since January 2014, up to 83 people deported by the U.S. have been killed after returning to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"These figures tell us that the U.S. is returning people to their deaths in violation of national and international law," said Elizabeth Kennedy, the San Diego state university researcher behind the forthcoming study, in an interview with the Guardian. "Most of the individuals reported to have been murdered lived in some of the most violent towns in some of the most violent countries in the world--suggesting strongly that is why they fled."
The findings underscore growing concerns over the humanitarian implications of record-high deportations under the administration of President Barack Obama.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.