After an agreement reached by the governments of Cambodia and the US this March, some 1500 Cambodian refugees whose families fled Pol Pot's murderous regime are being gradually deported back to that country. Many of the deportees were born in refugee camps in Thailand, have never been to Cambodia or left as babies, and do not speak Khmer. They are distinguished from Americans in only one way--their lack of citizenship.

They are young men who have been convicted of crimes deemed 'aggravated felonies' in immigration law. The men have, for the most part, served their time and gone on to get educations and jobs and have families.

Some had plea bargained rather than fight their case, as defense attorneys frequently advise, not realizing that a future change in policy would subject them to mandatory deportation. That change came as one of seven progressive enlargements to the classification of 'aggravated felonies'; immigration law provides for mandatory detention and deportation for aliens convicted of crimes which would not necessarily be classed as felonies in our criminal courts--for example, shoplifting, DUI, marijuana possession, and minor assaults.

Though it appears the seventeen deportees so far are being released after a few weeks' detention, this is no guarantee for the rest. Prime Minister Hun Sen stated in May that he planned to jail the deportees in Prey Sar, a political prison in Phnom Penh where, according to a 2002 Human Rights Watch report, torture is likely. The US State Department has affirmed 'unequivocally' that Cambodia continues to be characterized by gross and widespread human rights violations.

These events reveal a frightening number ways in which cherished principles of our system are being violated and undermined today. Some of these principles are:

* A single standard in law: It is unfair to have two legal standards--criminal law and immigration law.

* The punishment should fit the crime. A law breaker should be punished once and only once.

* Equal rights and responsibilities: it is discriminatory to impose more punishment on some based solely on their ethnic or national background.

* Laws should not be implemented retroactively.

* Mandatory deportation undermines the notion that everyone is entitled to their day in court.

The most vulnerable among us are being singled out for punishment once again. People of color and recent immigrants live disproportionately in poverty; have least access to equal opportunity in education and employment, and already suffer from unfair targeting by law enforcement.

The Cambodian community is in terrible pain. Families are being split up, with little or no hope of being reunited. There is realistic fear for the safety and even the lives of the deportees. In the Seattle Tacoma area, Sarana International Buddhist Center is hosting support and organizing efforts. Legislation which would enable the individual review of some cases is likely to be reintroduced in Congress next session. The Cambodian community welcomes your support of any kind. Contact Chanvong Kim at 206) 713-2083 or chanvongkim@yahoo.com.

--Liza Wilcox is Community Services Coordinator at Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, www.hatefreezone.org