PRYSM Fights for Cambodian Deportees with 212C Campaign

by Mike Liu
1/6/05

This is adapted from the PrYSM newsletter. Visit PrYSM

The Providence Youth and Student Movement (PrYSM)  has begun an appeal campaign for Cambodian Americans under orders for deportation. They are conducting an intensive media campaign to help Cambodians with “final orders of removal” to file a 212C to re-open their cases. They are working with the Asian American Legal Defense Education Fund (AALDEF) that will provide legal services.

Under the “War on Terrorism” hysteria, legislation and policy changes like the Patriot Act have removed many basic civil rights, particularly for immigrants and refugees. 1,500 Cambodian Americans, have “final orders of removal,” live day–to–day, not knowing how when and how they might find ICE officials knocking at their door. Another 7,000 Laotian, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Mien are at risk of deportation if the Justice Department successfully negotiates deportation agreements with their respective home countries.