Texas Immigration Jail Holding Some Families Too Long

Meredith Hoffman, Associated Press, May 31, 2017 - "Afghan asylum seeker Samira Hakimi and her family members — three of them young children — have spent six months inside a Texas immigration lockdown, even though state lawmakers adjourned this week without passing legislation to circumvent federal rules on housing minors at such facilities.

The proposals that died in the legislative session would have licensed the immigrant detention facilities as childcare providers to avoid a requirement stipulating minors can be held no longer than 20 days.

Immigrant welfare advocates celebrated the failure of the bills, which they said would have caused further physical and psychological harm to children. Still, the federal government continues to hold some families long past the allotted time.

“The failure of the bill as good of news as that is doesn’t seem to have done these families any good,” said Cristina Parker, immigration programs coordinator for the Austin-based nonprofit Grassroots Leadership.

Hakimi, her two young sons, sister-in-law and baby nephew are seeking political asylum from the Taliban. The family had operated schools in Afghanistan with a western-style curriculum, one of which the Taliban destroyed.

The delay grew so distressing for Hakimi that three weeks ago she attempted suicide, wrapping her headscarf around her neck.

“She’s been very open about the fact that she was struggling with depression and that detention exacerbated it,” said Amy Fischer, policy director of Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, which is working on the family’s release.

Denise Gilman, director of the University of Texas immigration law clinic, said the prolonged detentions are a clear violation of the law."