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I don't know why ICE agents threw me in this prison. Hi {NAME} ? Growing up, I always heard about
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I don't know why ICE agents threw me in this prison.
[ACLU Action](
Hi {NAME} –
Growing up, I always heard about the United States and its promise. When I found myself forced to flee my country of birth, I thought that the U.S. would offer shelter. After all, the country's crowning monument reads, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
But I am not free. I've been locked up in a detention center for the past 16 months, without a release date in sight. I don't know why ICE agents threw me in this prison â I presented myself to government agents at the border, proved my identity, and the asylum officer who interviewed me found that I have credible claim to asylum. In fact, an immigration judge has granted my asylum not once but twice. But the government has appealed her decision each time, prolonging my suffering.
[I need your help: Sign this petition telling the Trump administration to release asylum seekers like me. My lawyers will use the petition to support my case, and if enough of you sign it, then I have a real chance to win my freedom.](
Back in Haiti, I was an ethics teacher to youth. In one of my classes, I discussed the corruption of our government officials and soon after, I was attacked by a notorious gang affiliated with a local politician. They ambushed me on my way home from work, savagely beat me, burned my motorcycle, and threatened to kill me. From that point, I knew I could not stay in Haiti. I fled 10 days later.
I had hoped that in reaching U.S. shores, as I eventually did, I would finally be able to breathe. I didnât know that the U.S. government would lock me up for no reason, violating its own laws and international human rights law.
I did nothing wrong. I committed no crime.
Now I am a human being trapped behind metal bars and walls, with no access to the outdoors. For the past 11 months, there have been no other French-speakers at the detention center whom I can talk to. I spend my days in total isolation. I have not breathed fresh air or felt the sun on my face. I never know if it's cold or hot outside, if the sun is out, or if the seasons are changing.
I'm one of nine plaintiffs in the ACLU's class action lawsuit, but there are even more of us scattered in detention centers throughout this big country. Some are fleeing targeted violence, and some are victims of persecution based on their sexuality or political affiliation. We all thought we would find safety in the U.S. It seems we were wrong â for now.
[Add your name to this petition and our lawyers will use it to support my case and the cases of other asylum seekers. Our detainment violates U.S. immigration law, international law, the Constitution, and the Department of Homeland Securityâs own written policies.](
I hope that America will prove to be better than this.
Thanks,
Ansly Damus
ACLU client and asylum seeker
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