U.S. takes aim at civil rights 
By:Patrick M. Murphy - Commentary 

Voluntarily meeting with immigration officials regarding his green card application, Ciaran Ferry was arrested on the spot in Denver on Jan. 30 this year. He is being accused of overstaying his visa.

Immigration officials also say he is being held because of an alleged "association with a known terrorist organization." Ironically, after entering legally, Ferry received permission in March 2001 to work in the United States. 

"We (with his U.S. citizen wife, Heaven Ferry) followed all the INS rules. We'd been up front about everything," Ferry told the Rocky Mountain News.

Ferry was transported to a federal penitentiary in Littleton, Colo., rather than an immigration detention facility. He is being held without bond in the Special Handling Unit. This unit is usually reserved for violent offenders.

Ferry spent 7 1/2 years in prison in his homeland of Ireland as an admitted member of the Irish Republican Army. He was released by the British government in 2000 as part of the Good Friday Accord. In post-9/11 America, however, all bets are off.

At 5:30 a.m. July 24, John McNicholl headed off to his job of more than 10 years in Upper Darby, Pa. A black van pulled up, snatched him from the sidewalk and deported him back to Ireland under the cover of darkness. Neither his lawyer nor his family were given prior warning.

McNicholl and his wife came to the United States in 1984, settling in Upper Darby. His Irish-born wife was granted U.S. citizenship in 1987 and the couple's three children were all born in the U.S.

Prosecutors said McNicholl had entered the country illegally, which was true. So, too, have more than 4 million Mexican nationals. Although there is discussion regarding another blanket amnesty for these Mexican nationals, McNicholl has been summarily deported. U.S. prosecutors also said McNicholl was a member of a terrorist organization. However, the organization he is being accused of membership in, the Irish National Liberation Army, isn't listed on the State Department's terrorist organizations list.

This is blatant quid pro quo. A few weeks ago, British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a whirlwind tour of Washington. He made a speech to a joint session of Congress. All this was so much window dressing, as he is embroiled in a battle of his own in Parliament regarding the war in Iraq. Ever so quietly, a new U.S./U.K. extradition treaty has been introduced by Attorney General John Ashcroft. The news media in general hasn't given this treaty the time of day.

Irish-Americans, however, are questioning the patriotism of a document that includes allowance for, among other things, provisional detention of up to 60 days upon request by the U.K. Extradition even if no U.S. federal law has been violated. No proof of guilt, merely accusations of a crime. These apply to U.S. citizens. They are also retroactive for offenses allegedly committed before ratification with no statute of limitations.

If this treaty is ratified, no legitimate Irish-American activist will be safe from these provisions. Also, when has an Irish Republican freedom fighter ever threatened harm to the U.S.? More than 200 years ago our forefathers fought against tyranny and "no taxation without representation". Now it appears we're in danger of our civil rights being eliminated without representation.

Patrick M. Murphy lives in Murrieta.