Donald Trump
The fear of deportation in the US is leading legal residents to delete posts On social networks about Donald Trump and abandoning protests. “I feel cowardly, but I can’t risk losing everything I built here.”
Maria deleted all publications He did on social networks to criticize the policies of Donald Trump and Isabel stopped participating in pro-Palestinian protests, all for fear of deportation, although they are both legally in the United States.
Maria and Isabel – fictitious names – spoke to the agency Lusa on condition of anonymity by fear retaliation in their migratory status.
The news that has been released in recent days – about greater repression by the government of Donald Trump even against ‘Green Card’ holders, ie foreigners with permanent residence permission in the United States – made the two immigrants. change the way they express themselves publicly.
Maria, who has a ‘Green Card’, confessed to Lusa that she feels “a coward” for erasing her entire history of publications to criticize the policies of the US President, but stressed that she has “a lot to lose and cannot risk Everything that has built in the United States, ”especially at a time when it has already begun its process to obtain US citizenship.
Although, regrets having its freedom of expression conditioned in this way.
Conditioned freedom
Last week, Paris indicated that a French scientist was denied in the US after US authorities found messages on his mobile phone that exposed a critical view of the policies adopted by Donald Trump.
According to a French diplomatic source, the scientist-who traveled to work-would have undergone a random check on arrival at the US territory, during which his work computer and personal telephone were searched.
It was Accused of sending messages “that express hatred against Trump and that can be classified as terrorism”.
The US government denied the French executive version, indicating that the investigator was prevented from entering the United States not by his “political convictions,” but because he was in possession of “confidential information” of a nuclear investigation laboratory.
But simply the fact that the scientist has his mobile phone and computer searched at the airport sounded to the alarms with foreigners who reside or visit the country.
In recent weeks, there have been several deportations of citizens with a student views or working in US territory, being the most media example of Mahmoud Khalila student at the University of Columbia who led protests against the war in the Gaza Stripwhich had its ‘Green Card’ revoked and the process of deportation started.
Threatened constitution
Isabelwho studies at an American university, was a frequent presence in protests against war in Gaza. But now, chose not to attend more.
Since Donald Trump assumed a posture of repression against students who participated in this type of protests -who accuses of being involved in “pro -terrorist activities -Isabel and many other students stopped participating in these demonstrations for fear of retaliation and losing their visa.
Civil rights defense groups accuse Donald Trump’s government of attacking freedom of expression protected by the US Constitution.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubiosaid on Thursday that the US has already revoked the visas to more than 300 university students for war -related protests in Gaza.
“We do this every day, every time I find one of these ‘Maluquinhos’“Rubio said, asked about the number of revokes of visas to university students accused of pro-Palestinian activism.
Legal or illegal: immigrants are targeted
“It is a shame what is going on in the United States. Where is freedom of expression? Is it not supposed to be the ‘land of free’? ”, He asked, in an indignation, an activist who is cool in the United States.
The US is today far from the land of promised freedom.
Donald Trump guaranteed which will expel “millions and millions” of illegal immigrants, one of the main promises of his election campaign, during which he promised to carry out “Greater mass deportation in history”.
There are about 11 million indocmented immigrants in the United States, according to estimates from the 2022 internal security department, the latest year with available data
However, no one expected that too Foreigners in legal situation in the United States, without criminal records, were target of immigration agentsincluding even the ‘Green Card’ holders.
This situation has led to increased demand for offices and immigration lawyers by legal residents, who now try to know what to do if they are approached by government agents.
About 12.8 million Green Card patients live in the United States, according to the latest estimates of the internal security statistics office.
