this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/42834907

“The reason we’re here is because the government of the United States wants you to leave the United States,” Judge Ubaid ul-Haq, presiding from a courtroom on Varick Street, told a group of about a dozen children on a recent morning on Webex.

The parties included a 7-year-old boy, wearing a shirt emblazoned with a pizza cartoon, who spun a toy windmill while the judge spoke. There was an 8-year-old girl and her 4-year-old sister, in a tie-dye shirt, who squeezed a pink plushy toy and stuffed it into her sleeve. None of the children were accompanied by parents or attorneys, only shelter workers who helped them log on to the hearing.

Immigrant advocates and lawyers say an increasing number of migrant children are making immigration court appearances without the assistance of attorneys, which they say will lead to more children getting deported.

“That child will be ordered deported from this country — that could all happen without that child ever speaking with an attorney and given the opportunity to obtain representation,” Shah said. “The cruelty is really apparent to all of us out here in the field.”

holy shit

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[–] Hupf@feddit.org 17 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

The dystopia isn't even boring anymore.

Actual orphan crushing machine.

[–] Pauce@lemmy.ca 6 points 5 hours ago

I feel crazy when I read these kinds of articles over the past few months, because I'll have a flash back to a few years ago where the exact same shit went down. And here they go again, this time cranked to 11. The show Orange is The New Black dedicated a whole subplot in their final season back in 2019 on how ICE was operating and what they were pulling. Immigration raids disguised as police raids, the indefinite detention of nonviolent migrants, inhumane conditions in holding, insufficient medical care/attention, etc.

One scene later in the season depicts the article above exactly, a group of children being put before a judge that they couldn't understand for many reasons; lack of representation, the language barrier, or because the kid is all of 2 years old.

[–] VasovagalSyncope@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Human beings in positions of power need to die for the acts that will be committed under this fascist regime. Every person contributing to this happening has a name and an address.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 22 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Judge: I will help you since you have no lawyer.

4 year old girl: No habla Engles

following translated:

Judge: Where were you born?

girl: I don't remember. I was too young.

Judge: If you show me a US birth certificate or SS ID card, I can help you not be deported.

girl: uhhh... what? what is words?

[–] uis@lemm.ee 7 points 5 hours ago

SS ID card

This invokes some unpleasant aSSociations.

[–] ulterno@programming.dev -3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

If the parents are being deported anyway, why don't they let their children go with them?

If a 4 year old (with her 8 yo sister next to her) is unable to realise and say that they had some papers related to their birth, which were separated from them (probably confiscated by the ICE and disposed off) I'd say, it's better for them to be deported.
Hopefully to a country with lesser brain-rot/poison in the water. Really, someone (country) just come and accept the children already. They need a better place than that.

Even better. Once they are accepted in a more reasonable country, they might have a better chance at reuniting with their parents.
I'd say, this is a good time for action for governments that are looking for more next-generation population.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

If the parents are being deported anyway, why don’t they let their children go with them?

Key part missing from article is what happened to their parents. Presumably, if prosecution is honest, the kids were in fact not born here, and so are not citizens by birthright. Cruelty and unfairness as a point, does not make facts relevant. Were parents abducted without opportunity to take their children? If no due process, or even DOJ intervention in cases, then its not the jack booted thug ordered to send a parent to a death camp, that will pause the order to go pick up the kids from school, not that the parents would want kids in the death camp.

Story is horrible. Maybe the answer to what happened to parents would make it seem less horrible on US fascism angle. Maybe the fascism is so intense that no one is told what happened to the parents.

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 1 points 3 hours ago

Story is horrible. Maybe the answer to what happened to parents would make it seem less horrible on US fascism angle. Maybe the fascism is so intense that no one is told what happened to the parents.

For now, I am really just going to assume that those were previously caught by ICE, due to the relevance to previous news.

Because, normally (stuff like death) you would have some legalese to get another guardian for the kid, which would then be available for the court proceedings and not have this happening.

The current resolutions as I see (from just the article though), seem to be more like - the children were staying with people, not very committed to keeping them and were initially hoping this to be a temporary measure until the parents "came back" (which never happened).
And now the children are having different sponsors (that read weird). What happens when the govt. goes around picking ppl out of those sponsors?

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

At this point, I don't think we need to care about where those people were born.

The government has decided to harass the people and if another government can come and say, "We will provide you 'work that pays' and a 'space to live'.", a lot of those people would be willing to go through the temporary strain of going to another country and adjusting.

And if the US govt. is willing to say 'NO' to the offer and torture the people, well, Putin might be shitting too much, but is still a politician and I don't see him letting go of the opportunity to band with UK (and the rest of the world), to go against the US this time.


One holocaust is enough for history. At least wait for the civilisation to (inevitably) forget the previous one, before creating another.

[–] stembolts@programming.dev -2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

If the parents are being deported anyway, why don't they let their children go with them?

It's helpful when someone who is going to say something dumb says, "I didn't read the article and will now assume what it said," in their opening sentence. Thank you internet dumb person, thank you.

There are no guardians, that is the point. The adults that were helping were lawyer groups to help discover if these children were, oh, idk, born here and thus citizens of the country under the US Constitution. Trump de-funded that group. So now a four year old is appointed as their own lawyer. Government Efficiency at its finest!

Imagine (please don't hurt your brain, it's okay if you can't imagine, you are doing your best) you are four, the police pick them up. They ask, "Please share with us your documents to prove your citizenship. No adult help allowed." You'd be in Mexico too, probably smarter than you are now so hey maybe a positive outcome for you.

God damn, what an unempathetic illiterate asshole.

READ you stupid fuck. REAAAD.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 25 points 22 hours ago

This isn't oniony. It's just sad.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 46 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Jesus Christ, we're fucking monsters.

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 111 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Maybe if these KIDS didn't WANT to be in Court they SHOULDNT have Committed CRIMES!

-Republicans who Voted for the 34 FELONIES Candidate!

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why are they spending time in a courtroom when they could be in the mines?

[–] sowitzer@lemm.ee 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Oh just fuck off with that DEI shit. I am so sick of being put down because I’m a white man in America. Just one more job i wouldn't do being taken away from me by illegals.

I volunteered at a soup kitchen once and the place was filled with able body white libs who are too lazy to work. Send them to the mines first.

I mean, I assume that’s who was there taking the handouts. I couldn’t actually show up that day. But I did volunteer and least.

Point is, there are plenty of Americans that should be forced to work in the mines first.

*just as an aside, I’m trying my hand at being maga. Wanted to practice some first, not sure this comment is angry or stupid enough. Any pointers appreciated.

[–] seemefeelme@infosec.pub 1 points 3 hours ago

It's good but you forgot to capitalise the buzzwords: "If any LIBERALS really want HANDOUTS, maybe they can try their hands out in the MINES!" Then throw in a laughing emoji after saying something totally dangerous: "Honestly if you have democrat parents you should have to pay more for school 😂"

Yeah, this is the part where the Nazis were rounding up the gypsies. That's where we are right now.

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 85 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Judge Ubaid ul-Haq should be ashamed for even presiding over that farce.

[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 78 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They can preside over it, but they should just have dismissed the case with prejudice for the government not providing a lawyer.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 68 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (22 children)

Unfortunately the law does not obligate the govt to provide a lawyer.

Edit: In immigration court. This is not a criminal court.

Edit edit: The number of people unable to comprehend the difference is giving me insight into just how bad the education system is in the states.

Edit edit edit: Apparently me explaining the facts of the matter makes me a bad guy 🤦

[–] Initiateofthevoid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You are correct, and ultimately the issue is that the laws shouldn't be different for immigration courts or immigration agents, because wrongful detention or deportation can be worse than wrongful imprisonment.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 4 points 20 hours ago

No argument there, this is a farce of a kangaroo court

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[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 90 points 1 day ago (10 children)

Jesus Christ, this is awful

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You know what's worse?

The amount of comments above you that are nothing but jokes and misinformation

[–] cornshark@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

It that really worse though?

[–] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

no but it still is pretty terrible

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 44 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Why are we not burning the white house down or dismantling any ICE facilities? 😬

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 3 points 22 hours ago

Because if you do you will probably be killed or sent to El Salvador. Unless most people are doing it, nobody wants to take that risk.

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[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ballsy move kids, but will be a big blow to the lawyering industry if they win.

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[–] pyre@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

they did this in his first term. this is part of why he was elected. racists vote.

[–] aramis87@fedia.io 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm just going to point out that Trump has declared that the official language of the United States is English, so I'm sure he's going to put in another executive order saying there shouldn't be any translators made available.

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