Following Supreme Court ruling, Oakland group fights deportation of detained Cambodian refugee

On March 8, supporters of Borey "PJ" Ai gathered in front of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, in hopes that he'd be granted a bond hearing. (Photo: Cecilia Lei)

On February 27, the Supreme Court overturned a 2013 ruling that allowed immigrants who have been detained for at least six months the right to periodic bond hearings. The decision is concerning for many immigrant advocates, including Oakland-based nonprofit Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC). The organization provides “culturally competent” support and services to Asian Pacific…

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In Oakland, a center works to protect Cambodian girls from sexual exploitation

CERI is a non-profit organization that provides mental health and social services to refugee and immigrant families, mostly Cambodians. All of the girls in its support group have parents who are Cambodian refugees, and they all live in high crime neighborhoods in the East Bay. Many of them know other girls—friends, former classmates—who have become involved in “the life,” a term for the underground world of prostitution.

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