[jimbo808]

> From statements made and queries in law enforcement databases, [redacted] has not violated his visa; however, the Atlanta Field Office Director has mandated [redacted] be presented as a Voluntary Departure. [Redacted] has accepted voluntary departure despite not violating his B1/B2 visa requirements.”

The article worded the whole thing very carefully, in a way to me is intentionally misleading. The director mandated that the visa holder be labeled as a voluntary departure. That could simply mean the person decided he would return, and was allowed to do so, and the director simply informed whoever filled out the paperwork that this was a voluntary departure. There is nothing in the article that actually indicates the person was forced to leave the country with a valid visa.

The fact that they dance around this tells me that this article is bullshit. And knowing what I know about The Guardian, it almost certainly is.

[elygre]

If I was rounded up in an ICE raid, I would enthusiastically depart the country, even if I was fully compliant with every rule.

That’s to say that a voluntary departure doesn’t mean no harm was caused.

[jimbo808]

But if harm was caused, The Guardian would probably be more explicit about it. They wouldn't beat around the bush in how they word it.

[mindslight]

Baseless detainment and coercion, kicking a law-abiding America-contributing worker out of the country, interrupting the building of a new domestic factory, and making an allied country wary of working with us are the harms. You're just ignoring them, because you've been propagandized to think the victims deserved it.

[jimbo808]

That is a very different issue than what the article implies. The implication of the article was that something very illegal happened. What you're implying is not necessarily illegal, but I agree it is harmful.

[mindslight]

I mean, someone was kidnapped, and then coerced into giving up their visa. Kidnapping is very illegal, and so is extortion.

[jimbo808]

Kidnapped or detained? These words mean the same thing to you?

[rich_sasha]

If Ice detained me, kept me in kafkaesque isolation, shuttled me around for a few hours from one detention centre to another, but did no other harm, I'd probably also be happy to GTFO, and might even concede no harm was done.