Sources inside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have confirmed that no Tongan nationals were arrested during last month’s raids.
As Kaniva News reported, unsourced news reports claimed that hundreds of Tongans had been arrested in the raids which occurred across the United States.
The stories also claimed that the Tongans who had supposedly been arrested were liable for deportation.
One site claimed 831 Tongans had been deported in the raids on illegal migrants in the US.
However, this number was higher than the total number of 680 arrests arrests reported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
According to ICE statistics, in 2016 a total of 16 Tongans were deported from the US by immigration authorities.
Bogus stories about changes to US immigration laws have also circulated.
Meanwhile, US and Tongan officials are meeting in Nuku’alofa this week to discuss problems surrounding the reintegration of Tongan deportees into the kingdom.
Tongan deportees often face serious difficulties adjusting to a culture, language and traditions with which they may be completely unfamiliar.
US Ambassador to Tonga Judith Cefkin said reintegrating deportees into Tongan society was a major concern.
Some limited services are available to help deportees, but these organisations themselves often struggle for support.
The US has agreed to give the Tongan government three weeks’ notice of the arrival of deportees and to criminal records.
The main points
- Sources inside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have confirmed that no Tongan nationals were arrested during last month’s raids.
- As Kaniva News reported, bogus stories also claimed that the Tongans who had supposedly been arrested were liable for deportation.
- Meanwhile, US and Tongan officials are meeting in Nuku’alofa this week to discuss problems surrounding the reintegration of Tongan deportees into the kingdom.
- Tongan deportees often face serious problems adjusting to local culture and society.
For more information
Reports of mass arrests follow bogus stories about US immigration policy
Kuo fakapapauʻi mai mei he ʻEnifoosimeni ʻa ʻAmelika ki he ʻImikuleisiní mo e Kasitomú pe (ICE) kuo teʻeki puke ha Tonga lolotonga ʻa e ngaahi ʻohofi he māhina kuo ʻosí.
Hangē ko ia ne līpooti ʻe he Kanivá, ne pehē ʻe ha līpooti ʻa ha ngaahi maʻuʻanga fakamatala ʻikai ʻilo pe ko ʻenau maʻu mei fē ʻo pehē ne puke ha kau Tonga lau teau ʻi ha ngaahi ʻohofi ne fakahoko ʻi ʻAmeliká.
Ne toe pehē ʻe he ngaahi fakamatala ko ʻení ko kinautolu Tonga ne puké ne ʻi ai ʻe tui ʻe fakafoki kinautolu ki Tonga.
Pehē ʻe he saiti ʻe taha ʻi he ngaluopé kuo fakafoki fakapuleʻanga ki Tonga ha toko 831 ʻi he ngaahi ʻohofi ko ʻeni ʻo e kau nofo taʻefakalao ʻi ʻAmeliká.
Ka kuo ʻova e fika ia ko iá he tokolahi fakakātoa ko e toko 680 kuo puke pea lipooti ʻe he ʻEnifoosimení.
Fakatatau ki he sitetisitika ʻa e ICE ʻi he 2016 ko e toko 16 Tonga pe naʻe tipooti mei ʻAmelika ʻe he kau maʻu mafai ʻimikuleisiní.
Kuo ʻi ai foki mo e ngaahi talanoa loi kuo vilo holo ʻo pehē kuo liliu e lao ʻa ʻAmelika ki he ʻimikuleisiní ki he Pasifikí.
Taimi tatau kuo fakataha ʻa e kau ʻofisiale Tonga mo ʻAmeliká ʻi Nukuʻalofa he uiké ni ke aleaʻi ʻa e palopalema ʻoku hoko koeʻuhi
ko kinautolu ne ngaue pōpula ka kuo toe fiemaʻu ke fakafokifoki mai ʻenau moʻuí ki he sōsaietí.
ʻOku faʻa fepaki e kau tīpooti Tongá mo e ngaahi faingataʻa lahi he taimi ʻoku nau feinga ai ke fakaangaanga ki ha angafakafonua, lea mo e talatukufakaholo ʻoku ʻikai ke nau feangainga mo ia.
Ne pehē ʻe he ʻAmipasitoa ʻa ʻAmelika ki Tongá ʻoku ʻi ai e hohaʻa lahi kia kinautolu ko ia kau tīpooti ʻoku feingaʻi ke toe fakafokifoki ʻenau moʻuí ki he sōsaieti Tongá.
ʻOku ʻi ai pe ha ngaahi sēvesi niʻihi ʻoku ala faingamālie ke tokoni ki he kau tipootí ka ʻoku faʻa faingataʻaʻia ʻa e ngaahi kautaha ko ʻeni he feinga ke maʻu hanau kau poupou.
Kuo loto ʻeni ʻa ʻAmelika ke fakahā ki Tonga ki muʻa ʻi ha uike ʻe tolu ke nau ʻilo ʻo ka fakafoki mai ha taha pea lava ke ʻomai foki ki Tonga mo e lekooti faihia ʻo e taha ko iá.