An illegal Chinese immigrant in the US miscarried her unborn twins last week while being deported, the Beijing News reported yesterday.
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Jiang Zhenxing, who was then three-months pregnant, has charged US immigration officials with causing the miscarriage by their use of force to repatriate her.
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The Chinese Consulate in New York will investigate the matter and work to resolve the issue.
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Jiang, 33, came to the US in 1996 and married a Chinese man two years later. The couple opened a Chinese restaurant in Philadelphia.
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Jiang claims that she has been reporting to the local immigration bureau for the last two years. Last Tuesday, she was informed that she was to be deported immediately.?
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She said that she had appealed for a delayed departure until after she gave birth, but her request was denied.
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Jiang said a US official pushed her and 'bumped' her in the stomach twice on the way to Kennedy Airport.
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She developed stomach pains at the airport and was sent to Jamaica Hospital in Queens hours later.
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Jiang underwent an operation to removed the dead twin foetuses. Jiang's condition is now stable, but she is weak. The hospital has not determined the cause of death.
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After the incident, a spokesperson for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement argued that there was no violation of law during the deportation procedure Jiang, and it is "not true" that an official's actions led to her miscarriage. Immigration authorities said Jiang will still be deported after she is discharged from hospital.
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Cui Aimin, deputy consul-general of the Chinese Consulate in New York, said the consulate will give necessary support to Jiang, despite her illegal status in the US.
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(China Daily February 13, 2006)