Scary: Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 11:54 AM in real life

Although Immigrants is used in the headline, Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely, from reading the article it appears this applies to non-citizen immigrants. Or does that mean you're not an immigrant anymore once you're a citizen. Not that it matters anymore, if the President says your an enemy combatant, you rSOL and can be disappeared. I think the military regime in Argentina did something similar in the 80s. I wonder how that worked out for them?

The new law says that enemy combatants will be tried before military commissions, not a civilian judge or jury, and establishes different rules of evidence in the cases. It also prohibits detainees from challenging their detention in civilian court.

Comments

Jason Lefkowitz says

Here's how the law in question (the Military Commissions Act of 2006) defines "Persons Subject to Military Commissions":

`Any alien unlawful enemy combatant is subject to trial by military commission under this chapter.

And here's how the act defines "alien unlawful enemy combatant":

(1) UNLAWFUL ENEMY COMBATANT- (A) The term `unlawful enemy combatant' means--

`(i) a person who has engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents who is not a lawful enemy combatant (including a person who is part of the Taliban, al Qaeda, or associated forces); or

`(ii) a person who, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense.

...

(3) ALIEN- The term `alien' means a person who is not a citizen of the United States.

So as I read that, it means that anyone who isn't a US citizen (including foreigners here on valid work permits) who is designated as a Bad Guy by "another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President" can be thrown into a secret prison.

Thanks George!

Posted Thursday, Nov 16, 2006 at 09:29 AM