11. In Liberty's Shadow: US Detention of Asylum Seekers in the Era of Homeland Security
- Publication Date:
- 01-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Human Rights First
- Abstract:
- When I set foot on American soil, I had finally reached the land of liberty, the land of peace, and I had a strong feeling of gratitude toward the Most High who had allowed me to escape death and to reach a life of freedom…. After completing my statement [at the airport]…[an] officer arrived with handcuffs. Then he handcuffed my wrists, but I sincerely thought this was a case of mistaken identity. Later on he explained to me that this was the established procedure. We left for [a county] prison. They put me in a cell where it was really cold, and I had no blanket with me. The idea of a land of liberty was beginning to be cast into serious doubt in my mind.
- Topic:
- Security, Government, Human Rights, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and America