This mass deportation effort involves multiple steps and I haven't heard yet how they plan to accomplish anything other than terrorizing folks with the roundup:
- Identifying those in the country unlawfully
a. Identifying those whose locations are known
- Identifying destinations for deportees
- Identifying means of transport
Since this is not my job the above is all I could come up with off the top of my head but the following is an explanation as to why this process is not as straight forward as we have been led to believe:
The United States can request that other nations accept their citizens who are subject to deportation, but it cannot unilaterally compel compliance. The success of such efforts depends on international law, diplomatic relations, and the cooperation of the receiving country. Here's an overview:
1. International Obligations
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963):
- This treaty outlines the framework for consular relations between independent countries, including the obligation to accept the return of their nationals.
- The U.S. can notify the consulate of the individual's home country and request travel documents to facilitate deportation.
- Domestic Immigration Law:
- U.S. immigration laws authorize the deportation of individuals unlawfully present or otherwise removable.
- Deportation requires the receiving country's cooperation to issue necessary travel documents, such as passports or emergency travel certificates.
2. Challenges in Enforcing Returns
- Non-Cooperation by Receiving Countries:
- Some nations delay or refuse to accept deportees, citing issues like lack of proper identification, disputed citizenship, or political reasons.
- For example, countries like China have historically been less cooperative in accepting deportees.
- Stateless Individuals:
- Deportation becomes more complicated if the individual cannot be definitively linked to a country of citizenship.
3. U.S. Actions to Encourage Compliance
The U.S. employs several strategies to encourage other nations to cooperate with deportations:
- Visa Sanctions:
- Under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the U.S. can suspend the issuance of visas to citizens of countries that refuse or unreasonably delay accepting deportees.
- In 2017, the U.S. imposed visa sanctions on countries like Eritrea, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia for non-cooperation.
- Diplomatic Pressure:
- The U.S. engages in bilateral negotiations to encourage compliance, sometimes offering foreign aid or other concessions in exchange for cooperation.
- Repatriation Agreements:
- The U.S. enters into formal agreements with some countries to streamline the deportation process, including timelines and procedures for issuing travel documents.
4. Human Rights Considerations
- Non-Refoulement Principle:
- International law prohibits deporting individuals to countries where they would face persecution, torture, or other inhumane treatment.
- This principle is codified in U.S. law under the Refugee Act of 1980.
- Asylum and Due Process:
- Individuals have the right to apply for asylum or other relief from deportation, which can delay or prevent removal.
5. Enforcement Challenges
- Immigration Detention Limits:
- If a country refuses to accept its citizen, the U.S. may not be able to detain the individual indefinitely.
- The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Zadvydas v. Davis (2001) established that immigrants cannot be detained beyond a presumptively reasonable period (six months) if deportation is not reasonably foreseeable.
Conclusion
While the United States has legal and diplomatic tools to encourage countries to accept their citizens, it cannot compel compliance. Success often depends on the willingness of the receiving nation, international agreements, and geopolitical factors. When countries refuse to cooperate, deportation efforts can be delayed or halted, highlighting the complex interplay of law, diplomacy, and international relations in immigration enforcement.
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