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Washington Update The Terror of Being a Refugee The Terrorism Bill, passed by the House and Senate on October 24 and 25 respectively, was signed into law by President Bush on the 26th. The new law makes it easier for law enforcement to track Internet communications, detain suspected terrorists, and obtain nationwide warrants for searches and eavesdropping. Members wrote the bill behind closed doors with little public comment and almost no documentation. Some worry that with its rush to passage, Congress may have left the bill very susceptible to court challenges. Others worry that with the arrest of more than 1,000
individuals in the wake of September 11, our liberty and freedoms may
be threatened. Many reliable reports of violations of due process have
surfaced including failure to provide access to counsel, delays in hearings,
failure to release in a timely fashion individuals for whom an immigration
judge has set a bond, and hearings conducted in secret for individuals
charged only with technical immigration violations. We don't know how
many detainees there actually are, who they are, or why they are being
detained. There are also Middle Eastern refugees who have fled
persecution from their countries and are now caught up in this post-9-11
system of being detained without due process. These are not suspected
terrorists. In fact, it is precisely the terrorism in their own countries
that has forced them to seek haven in America. The Immigration and Naturalization
Service seems to be refusing to release them based primarily on their
nationality. The following is an excerpt from a letter of an Iraqi detainee:
These heartfelt words, and the voices of many others in similar predicaments, should be heard. They too deserve a chance for a new life in the America that they came to for protection and for peace.
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