Washington:
Davinder Singh, a 21-year-old from the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, tells his moving experience in an American detention center after being held for illegal crossing of the American border. Singh was part of the second party of 116 Indian immigrants deported to India in a military aircraft. He describes the detention center as a place where fundamental human rights were ignored, with extremely low temperatures, “waffle-thin blankets” and no good food.
The trip from Singh to the US was dangerous, spread over different countries, including Amsterdam, Suriname, Guatemala and the Panama Forest. He eventually crossed the American border on January 27, but was held by the American border patrol. Singh spent 18 days in detention, where he witnessed American officials who did not respect Sikh immigrants by throwing their tulips in the garbage can. “It was very painful to see how turbans were thrown into a garbage belly,” Davinder told PTI.
The circumstances in the detention center were inhumane, where Singh and other immigrants were held in a hall with insufficient clothing and blankets to withstand the freezing temperatures. “When we told them we felt it cold, they wouldn't bother at all,” he said.
The food provided was also insufficient, with Singh received a small pack of chips and juice five times a day, along with half -baked bread, half -baked rice, sweet corn and cucumber. There was beef, but as a vegetarian Davinder had none. He spent 18 days in the detention center and they wore the same clothing all those days.
“It was mentally traumatic to stay in the detention center,” he said.
The story of Singh emphasizes the traumatic experiences of immigrants in American detention centers. His family spent a considerable amount, RS 40 Lakh, to send him to the US, only for him to be deported. Singh is now planning to join the repair workshop of his father in Tanda, Hoshiarpur.
In the midst of Trump's action against illegal immigrants, three parties have been reduced from the US to India.
