Civil liberties group suspects foul play in arrest of Muslim border crossers in Texas
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Texas is using an obscure law that requires border crossers to report to a border crossing and report their entry
AUSTIN, Texas – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has expressed concern about the initiation of criminal cases against asylum seekers from Muslim-majority countries.
Advocates for the ACLU stated that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Texas is using an obscure law that requires border crossers to report to a border crossing and report their entry.
This law has been found to be used disproportionately against people from Muslim countries.
According to a media report, this may be due to the desire of the FBI to recruit Muslims as informants.
Over 60% of those charged under this law were from countries with majority Muslim populations.
Prosecutors in Del Rio stopped charging under this law in April, but federal prosecutors have continued this practice.
The ACLU has called for an investigation into whether prosecutions are motivated by discrimination.
The FBI has long used informants to infiltrate and disrupt Muslim communities, and there have been concerns that this practice has led to the wrongful prosecution of innocent people.
According to a recent L.A. Times investigation, the U.S. attorney’s office in Del Rio, Texas arraigned more than 200 people for breaking the law in an 18-month spate of charges starting in October 2021.
Over 60% of them were from Muslim-majority countries, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, and Mali.
Republican critics of Biden’s border policy and parts of the American intelligence community have raised concerns about infiltration across the southern border by groups such as Al-Qaeda or Daesh, according to Bloomberg Law.
Many of the migrants charged were then transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after serving their sentences. Even leaving ICE custody doesn’t mean reaching safety for many of refugees charged under the statute, as they could still be deported back to their home countries unless they receive asylee status.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
