Punjabi youths chasing American dreams find themselves in US jails
What's the story
Chasing the American dream, Bunty Singh (not his real name) illegally entered the US after crisscrossing several countries but landed in an immigration detention center in Otero, New Mexico, where he has been languishing for the last 16 months. Having spent so many months in the detention center, Singh is now in the process of being deported back home. Here's more.
Leaving home
Singh left home 2 years ago, was lured by travel-agent
Hailing from a middle-class family of Jalandhar, Singh, whose father is in Punjab Police and mother, a housewife, left his hometown over two years ago. Lured by a local travel agent with the promise of being taken inside the US, it took him several months, crisscrossing several countries, before he tried to sneak into the US through the Mexico-border near El Paso in Texas.
Agent absconding
Singh's family had spent Rs. 47L, mostly on the agent
Unlike several fellow Indians who managed to enter the US undetected, Singh was nabbed soon after. Since then, he has been under detention. The travel agent who lured him is absconding. His family members say they spent about Rs. 47 lakh so far, most of which went to the agent and a portion of it for hiring a local attorney to fight his case.
Political asylum
Singh seeks political asylum based on cliched 'religious persecution' argument
Nothing has been of any help so far as the argument by the Punjabi youth that he wants "political asylum" in the US "because minority Sikhs are being persecuted by majority Hindus" has failed to convince the American judges. Notably, "religious persecution" is the most common argument by Indians illegally crossing into the US and seeking political asylum in the US.
Indians
About 100 Indians held at detention centers
Singh, however, is not alone as there are about 100 Indians, mostly from Punjab, who are held at two immigration detention centers in the Southern American State of New Mexico and Oregon. According to officials, around 40-45 Indians are at a federal detention center in the Southern American State of New Mexico while 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs and Christians, are held in Oregon.
Human traffickers
North American Punjabi Association believes network of human-traffickers encouraging Punjabi-youths
Satnam Singh Chahal, of North American Punjabi Association, believes that thousands of Indians, with a majority of them being from Punjab, are languishing in jails in the US. Chahal alleged that there is a nexus of human traffickers, officials, and politicians in Punjab, who encourage young Punjabis to leave their homes to illegally enter the US and charge Rs. 35-50 lakhs from each individual.
Quote
Chahal expresses concern
"Using different modus operandi, people of different backgrounds involved in human trafficking and often put the lives of their clients in considerable danger. Failure to reach their promised destination leads to deportation, exploitation, indebtedness, imprisonment and even death," Chahal said.
No political asylum
Immigration attorney hopes youths get deterred with Trump's immigration policy
Immigration attorney Akansha Kalra hoped youths will be deterred by the Trump administration's strict immigration policy. "I say to them (youths), 'Why do you want me to file for your asylum? You do not have an asylum case. The scripts that the smuggler gave you of (religious-prosecution) is not going to work anymore'," Kalra said narrating the experience of her detention center visits.