Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz is quoted in a report in Los Angeles Times. The report examined the recent practice of the immigration authorities, particularly the Office of Refugee Resettlement, in determining the age of undocumented migrants crossing the borders. It is reported that dental exams are being used to help determine the age of migrants and it has increased sharply in the last year, as a part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings. The accuracy of forensic testing to help determine the age of migrants is very much a subject of the debate. The exams are becoming another legal battleground for the government.
The report mentions that “In fiscal year 2018, Border Patrol apprehensions of Bangladeshi migrants went up 109 percent over the year before, rising to 1,203. Similarly, the number of Bangladeshi minors in ORR custody increased about 221 percent between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, reaching 392.” Riaz explaining the reasons for the rising numbers of Bangladeshis crossing the borders said “Bangladeshis are leaving the country for reasons including high population density, high unemployment among the young, a deteriorating political environment and the “quest for a better life.””
