US of A deports only criminal aliens [1]
Monday, July 28, 2008 - 05:21. Updated on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 18:44.
Editor,
With reference to Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa's letter on deportees from the USA, I must say that he has got the right spirit of wanting to help find assistance for Tonga. However, I wish to point out two or three glaring errors in his letter.
Firstly, he fails to mention the word Citizen or Aliens. All deportees from the US are aliens, that is they are Not American Citizens. The US government does not/cannot deport its own citizens. That is also why the US government provided rehabilitation programs and support for its Vietnam vets because as US citizens - they have certain privileges and entitlements which are not available to aliens.
Secondly, when Tongans immigrate (as legal permanent residents or "green card" holders) or go on non-immigrant (tourist) visas to the US, they are not Citizens and are there at the pleasure of that country's government. Those with green cards don't have the same privileges as citizens, so whenever they break the law - any law (and not as Mafi says 'serious crimes that warrant deportation') and they are caught, they will be deported because they have breached the conditions under which they were allowed to stay in the US. For those who went to the US on tourist visas and overstayed - they have already broken the US law - overstaying your visa is an offence against the US law. When you are caught - as sure as day follows night, you will be deported. Sometimes justice has to take place (jailed) before you are deported. The Tongan government cannot refuse to accept/admit (into Tonga) the deportees, because they are Tongan citizens, whether they left Tonga when they were infants or in their old age. Tonga will just have to find a way of helping deportees - because there is no where else for them (the serious criminals) to go once they are deported back to Tonga.
Thirdly, all non-citizen people in the US are aliens and are there because they want to, or were taken there by responsible adults such as parents. Therefore they are Definitely not under the supervision of the US government. Aliens are in the US because they petitioned or applied for visas to go to United States - the US government did not ask you to come to their country.
The Tongan government had done some good work in allowing dual citizenship for Tongans - all green card holders should now consider naturalizing to become US citizens because they will still retain their Tongan citizenship. For those in the US on tourist visas - there are lawful means of getting to stay there permanently, overstaying is not one of them.
I am sure the Tongan government would very much appreciate Mafi's assistance in drafting proposals to the various funds that are available from the various US agencies that he knows provides funding for deportee rehabilitation. They should take him up on that.
Tu'itokaloto Fakatakatau Taufa
moungatalau [at] yahoo [dot] com