Human rights group claims prosecution of Caribbean migrants hurting families

WASHINGTON, CMC – A major international human rights group says the skyrocketing criminal prosecutions of Caribbean and other migrants for illegally entering or reentering the United States carry huge human and financial costs.
In a report released here on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said imprisoning migrants with minor or no criminal records before deporting them often affects people seeking to reunite with their families in the US or fleeing persecution.
The 82-page report, “Turning Migrants into Criminals: The Harmful Impact of US Border Prosecutions,” documents the negative impact of illegal entry and reentry prosecutions,” which have increased 1,400 and 300 percent, respectively, over the past 10 years and now outnumber prosecutions for all other federal crimes.”