Posted on June 20, 2008

Some Nations Refuse to Take Deportees From U.S.

Deborah Bulkeley, Deseret News (Salt Lake City), June 19, 2008

After deportable immigrants serve their time, the parole board typically hands them over to federal authorities to handle deportation proceedings.

However, on Wednesday a legislative panel learned that sometimes those immigrants’ home countries won’t take them back.

Curtis Garner, chairman of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, told members of the Interim Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee that a few countries, such as Cuba, have no deportation agreement with the United States.

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In order to send a parolee to their native country, agents must obtain travel documents, he said. And, there’s a handful of countries, such as Cuba, Cambodia and Laos, that won’t provide those documents, Branch said.

Vietnam used to be on that list, but in January softened its stance and agreed to allow some of its citizens to be returned, he said.

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And, he adds that depending on the severity of the crime, ICE has the discretion to monitor parolee immigrants through means such as ankle bracelets.

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Garner told lawmakers that typically, illegal immigrants are treated the same as any other inmate up for parole. Even if they’re deported they’re placed on parole.

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