The Hill News

The Rev. Raymond Soeoth and his wife fled Indonesia in 1999 fearing persecution practicing their Christian faith. They arrived in America seeking asylum and were granted the right to live and work here while their applications were processed. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected Soeoth's application in 2004 and insisted on detaining him. Yet, he was not a flight risk and had never been convicted of a crime. After two and a half years in immigration detention, Soeoth was finally granted a hearing in front of an immigration judge who immediately ordered his release. Having returned to his wife, his community and his congregation, Soeoth won the right to reopen his case and will likely now be granted asylum.

Had Soeoth not received this hearing, he likely would still be languishing unjustly in immigration detention at a cost of $45,000 per year to taxpayers. He is one of many immigrants who exemplify why detention must be a last resort, accompanied by rob! ust, individualized due process protections to ensure that such detentions are necessary and justified. However, Soeoth and numerous other immigrant members of our communities would have no right to challenge their prolonged and potentially indefinite detention if H.R.1932, a bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and passed out of committee, becomes law.

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