I have been in touch with community leaders, who are not only
distressed by the ongoing situation, but also expressed concern
regarding the dangers that await these individuals if they return to an
active war zone in Iraq. Many of the communities characterize these raids as having a
deliberate and calculated motive. Understand that these deportations
are part of an agreement made between Prime Minister Abadi and
President Trump as part of a deal to remove Iraq from the travel ban,
an agreement that is not in writing, Mr. Speaker, an agreement that
Congress nor the public has access to. When ISIS reared its ugly head in 2014 in northern Iraq, its main
targets for genocide, sexual slavery, and other gross human rights
violations included these same people: Iraqi Christians, Muslims, and
other ethnic and religious minorities. In 2014, Congress passed a resolution, unanimously, recognizing
Iraq's ethnic and religious minorities as victims of genocide in Iraq
and Syria. Since then, both the Obama administration and Trump
administration have referred to these acts of violence against Iraqi
Chaldeans and others as genocide; yet still we are going to deport
these same people back to a country where there will be, surely, a
confrontation of death or slavery. Removing these individuals
represents what many have described as a ``death sentence'' should they
be deported into an active war zone. The final orders, we are told, of people who were convicted of
offenses are based on criminal activities; but we know for a fact, some
were for driving without a license and some were for having possession
of marijuana 25 years ago. Furthermore, the removal orders are considered legal, and I support
the legal process.
Keywords matched
deported deportations