Some of us remember this iconic photo: It’s the last airlift of
South Vietnamese sympathizers of the U.S. government during the war.
My research unearthed
cabinet level minutes that were declassified in 1990: “See The White House, Notes of
the Cabinet Meeting (Apr. 29, 1975, 9:45 a.m.), Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library, available in (fascinating link!) https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/exhibits/vietnam/000800055-001.pdf
(“The President reiterated that a total of 43-45000 South Vietnamese will have
been evacuated.”) Notably, these minutes do not state whether the evacuees
would be allowed entry to the U.S.
From 1975-1995,
Vietnamese immigrants had no legal status in the U.S. Presidential
administrations refused to deport them—indeed, could not deport them— because
there was no diplomatic relationship with Viet Nam. That relationship was restored
in 1995, making it possible in theory to deport Vietnamese immigrants. Even
then, Vietnam refused to enter into an agreement to return anyone from the pre-1995 period.
Now the Trump
administration is pressuring VietNam to take back 8,000 of these pre-1995
immigrants. All have had contact with law enforcement, many have been
convicted, though little is known about whether these are misdemeanors,
felonies, or a mix.
This is part of a
larger plan by the administration to disrupt immigrant communities that have
set down roots in the U.S.—communities that include Haitians, Salvadorans, Nicaraguans,
Hondurans (all who have had their temporary immigration status revoked by the
administration).
My thought? If
8,000 Vietnamese immigrants have broken the law, let them serve time in U.S.
prisons, assuming that judges sentence them to jail. Deporting an older person
who was airlifted in this photo is inhumane and unnecessary.
For
more, read https://www.clearinghouse.net/chDocs/public/IM-CA-0115-0003.pdf.
No comments:
Post a Comment