Connecticut Community Bands Together to Save Chinese Couple From Deportation

[KohSung]

Local officials and members of a community in Simsbury, Connecticut are voicing their protests against the impending deportation of a Chinese American couple who has been living and working in the United States for 20 years.

 

Deco Salon owners Zhe Long Huang and Xiang Jin Li are due to be deported on Friday, February 16 despite having completed all requirements demanded by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Huang has already been fitted with a GPS trackers and he and his wife were both instructed to buy one-way tickets out of the country, reports the Hartford Courant. Court records reveal that neither of them has a criminal record.

 

“We have been here 20 years — we don’t even think about China,†48-year-old Huang was quoted as saying. “We are Americans. And now they tell us, ‘Get out.’â€

 

 

The couple, affectionately known in the neighborhood in Farmington as Tony and Kris, are currently raising two children, ages 5 and 15. They have previously been granted work permits, and are regular taxpayers.

“This family was escaping persecution to come here,†State Senator Beth Bye of Farmington was quoted by Fox61 as saying. “They’ve come here, they’ve set up a business, and they’re important community members and our community members are saying ‘we’re with you.'â€

 

 

On Sunday, almost a hundred supporters gathered outside their salon to attend a rally organized by a family friend — Avon realtor Laurie Kane. In addition to the couple’s friends and patrons of their salon, some Farmington Valley residents who have heard about their plight showed up, chanting and carrying signs supporting the couple while others condemned President Donald Trump’s policy on immigrants. 

“I actually yelled at her — I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’†Kane recalled. “And she said, ‘I was embarrassed. I was ashamed.’â€

 

According to Kane, the couple’s main concern is their children who do not speak Chinese and have never been to China. They remain undecided whether they will bring the kids to China or leave them in the U.S. to stay with friends.

 

“They don’t deserve this,†Simsbury First Selectman Eric Wellman noted. “We need to be keeping families together.â€

“It makes good sense to me to go after illegals that are not law-abiding, they’re breaking criminal laws, committing felonies, and hurting people,†said State Senator Paul Doyle of Wethersfield. “But in this situation, law-abiding people paying taxes and helping our citizens just doesn’t make sense.â€

 

Link: https://nextshark.com/chinese-american-deportation-ice/

[Frogurt]

Immigrants are the scapegoats of the now.

[KohSung]

Immigrants are the scapegoats of the now.

Sad thing is just like with the Bangladesh family, according to the article this family too did what they needed to do according to the law. There's no reason why they should be getting deported. 

[Soar]

Sad thing is just like with the Bangladesh family, according to the article this family too did what they needed to do according to the law. There's no reason why they should be getting deported. 

 

They failed the asylum petition - mostly likely USCIS found out they submitted forged documents. Unlike the border jumpers, USCIS have almost all the information of this couple. Removal is just an immediate step after they lost the case of asylum application. Fair game. It is quite reasonable and need minimum resource. Response from China community was dramatically different because they knew this kind scum too well.

[KohSung]

They failed the asylum petition - mostly likely USCIS found out they submitted forged documents. Unlike the border jumpers, USCIS have almost all the information of this couple. Removal is just an immediate step after they lost the case of asylum application. Fair game. It is quite reasonable and need minimum resource. Response from China community was dramatically different because they knew this kind scum too well.

Ah I see. Well that makes sense. Why did they forge the documents in the first place anyway? Didn't they know they would get caught?  

 

Say anything that the article didn't mention so people can get a fuller picture of the story. 

[Soar]

Ah I see. Well that makes sense. Why did they forge the documents in the first place anyway? Didn't they know they would get caught?  

 

They well match the profiling of the typical self-claimed Falun Gong practitioners - entered the States around the millennium with B1/B2 visa and overstay, filed petitions for political asylums, claimed they was suppressed, prosecuted, and tortured for being a Falun Gong practitioner, fabricated supporting documents like letters from other practitioner, policy reports, and etc which could be provided by immigrant attorneys.

 

It became a trend during early 2000s because China government began cracking down the Falun Gong organizations at 1999. At least 80% applications got approved until 2005 - 2006. After that the approval rate sharply dropped possibly because USCIS smelled something suspicious after seeing the spiking number of petitions.

 

I bet this couple must file petition at least twice, one from each of them, (Generally processing time should be less than 5 years and the cases could be approved within one year if the petition was filed around 2000), and appeal once after the initial application got rejected because 20 year is a long time. Unfortunately they cannot apply asylum by citing one-child policy because their kids were born in the States and they are also ethnic minorities who are not limited by one-child policy.

[KohSung]

They well match the profiling of the typical self-claimed Falun Gong practitioners - entered the States around the millennium with B1/B2 visa and overstay, filed petitions for political asylums, claimed they was suppressed, prosecuted, and tortured for being a Falun Gong practitioner, fabricated supporting documents like letters from other practitioner, policy reports, and etc which could be provided by immigrant attorneys.

 

It became a trend during early 2000s because China government began cracking down the Falun Gong organizations at 1999. At least 80% applications got approved until 2005 - 2006. After that the approval rate sharply dropped possibly because USCIS smelled something suspicious after seeing the spiking number of petitions.

 

I bet this couple must file petition at least twice, one from each of them, (Generally processing time should be less than 5 years and the cases could be approved within one year if the petition was filed around 2000), and appeal once after the initial application got rejected because 20 year is a long time. Unfortunately they cannot apply asylum by citing one-child policy because their kids were born in the States and they are also ethnic minorities who are not limited by one-child policy.

 

Ah I see. I see. So not so innocent after all. That's really a despicable thing to do making up claims. I already don't know what's true and what isn't true when I read things about the Chinese government and this doesn't help. I see people preaching Falun Gong where I live very often lol. So now I don't even know if they're real or not or if anything they claim is true lol. What a world. 

[Soar]

Ah I see. I see. So not so innocent after all. That's really a despicable thing to do making up claims. I already don't know what's true and what isn't true when I read things about the Chinese government and this doesn't help. I see people preaching Falun Gong where I live very often lol. So now I don't even know if they're real or not or if anything they claim is true lol. What a world. 

 

There is a slim chance that they are indeed innocent. However they failed both petitions and appeals. They should face the reality they lose the case and should make the exit plan as the adults. They are going to be fine anywhere just like they can start the new chapter of their life in US 20 years ago - the only difference is they are loaded with money now.

 

The article is knowledgeable and unbiased on current deportation policies.

 

 

 

Albence said the agency’s priority remains those who represent a threat to public safety or national security, just as it was under Obama. The difference now is that agents are also enforcing judges’ deportation orders against all immigrants who are subject to such orders, regardless of whether they have criminal records.