9 year old Canadian Boy Held in American Custody

[illinoisprogressive]

A 9 year old Canadian-born boy and his family (of Iranian descent) have been held in a Texas prison (euphemistically called the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Facility near Austin, Texas, a converted medium-security prison) now for over a month. The family had been deported back to Iran in December 2005 but threatened with torture escaped using false documents, only to be seized in Puerto Rico after a plane was diverted there instead of Toronto. More details are available here.

The story is making headlines north of the border but has been a source on controversy for many months in Texas.

The ACLU has now issued several lawsuits on behalf of the imprisoned children, citing Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as defendant. (See below for further details.) The facility houses roughly 400 men, women and children either awaiting deportation or seeking asylum, slightly over half of whom are children.



http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/7/105153/8423

[mzmolly]

1. Let Freedom Ring?

:eyes: So sad.

[treestar]

2. Why don't they deport him to Canada if he is such a threat?

This reminds me of the case of the Canadian citizen of Syrian birth who was sent to Syria rather than Canada.

You'd think the Canadians would be furious at the insult to their sovereignty.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. I've read about children as young as 5 in gitmo.