Livre questions government about Azorean citizen detained in U.S. – Portugal Resident

Left-wing party LIVRE has questioned the government today about a Portuguese citizen – Hugo Freitas de Sousa, 39, from the Azorean island of Terceira – who has been held against his will for over a month by ICE (the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement entity) in spite of having signed a document agreeing to voluntary repatriation.

Resorting to a hunger strike for several days, Freitas de Sousa is just desperate to get out of America.

“According to reports from the family, (Freitas was) detained at the border between Canada and the United States while returning from a short stay in the Azores, despite holding a valid ESTA (travel visa) authorisation. The US authorities have confiscated his mobile phones”, reads part of LIVRE’s question.

De Sousa “signed the voluntary repatriation document, not contesting his deportation process from the country” yet he remains “without information” – and reached the point where he began a hunger strike that has already lasted “several days”.

Subsequent reports from the Azores suggest regional government inquiries about de Sousa have led to him interrupting his hunger strike.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs meantime has confirmed that it is monitoring the case but replied to Lusa’s questions yesterday that, so far, it has not been possible to provide specific timeframes for its resolution.

“What have the Portuguese authorities been doing?”

The case was initially flagged by state broadcaster RTP. LIVRE’s involvement comes in the context that the party wants to know “what concrete steps, so far, have been taken with the U.S. authorities” and whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of Hugo Freitas de Sousa’s state of health, “especially after the start of the hunger strike, and what consular assistance measures have been and are being provided to him”.

LIVRE also asks whether the government tried to find out “on what grounds the U.S. immigration services are keeping Hugo Freitas de Sousa, given that he holds a valid entry visa” and whether legal assistance has been made available to him.

“What have the Portuguese authorities been doing so that the return to Portuguese territory takes place as quickly as possible, thus putting an end to this situation?”, the party quizzes. “What contacts, information and support have been made and provided to the family of the citizen Hugo Freitas de Sousa”.

LIVRE equally wants to know how many Portuguese citizens are currently detained by the United States immigration services, and what the assessment is of the consular support provided to Portuguese citizens detained by the United States immigration services.

All this comes on a day when international news report that ICE/ the U.S. administration is investing almost 17 million dollars to purchase 6000 gloves that can administer ‘painful electric shocks’ to “control detainees and protestors who resist”.

Source material: LUSA/ azores.rtp.pt/ Associated Press