A Bitter Bon Voyage.(aliens face deportation if convicted felons)(Brief Article)

Andy and Mau never thought they'd return to Cambodia this way. Like tens of thousands of other Cambodian war refugees, the two young men fled a genocidal campaign to begin new lives in the United States. Resettled with their families in places like Virginia and Texas, they attended public schools, listened to rap music and wore the latest styles. They were as comfortable with American life as any native teenagers. But Andy and Mau made two mistakes. First they ran afoul of the law and served prison sentences for separate robberies. Second, perhaps because they felt so at home in the States, they never bothered to fill out the paperwork to become U.S. citizens. The second mistake proved to be the more costly. Last June they were informed by U.S. Immigration agents that they would be deported to Cambodia within 24 hours.

Andy, 31, and Mau, 27,who did not want to give their full names, are not alone. Citing a 1996 law that mandates automatic deportations for aliens convicted of a felony, the United States plans to deport about 1,400 more Cambodians who have been convicted of such crimes, as well as aliens from other countries. The decision to begin large-scale deportations, made only with Phnom Penh's acquiescence last March, seem to be part of a general stiffening of U.S. immigration policy--part of a series of measures that include increased monitoring of aliens' whereabouts and beefed-up law-enforcement powers. U.S. Immigration officials deny that these deportations are part of any post-9-11 crack down. "If you are living in the United States, you are agreeing to abide by the laws of the United States," says an INS spokeswoman. "This is a choice an individual makes."

Cambodia, on the other hand, did not have a choice. Cambodian officials claim they were strong-armed into signing the agreement. A senior Cambodian official indicated that Phnom Penh's acceptance of the terms was linked in their minds to vital World Bank and IMF assistance, which could be torpedoed by diplomatic pressure from Washington. "If we don't have help from behind the scenes from the United States, how could we get assistance?" says the senior official. The Cambodian government also claims that had it not gone along, the U.S. Attorney General could have imposed a number of sanctions, including freezing visas to the United States.

Cambodia isn't the only country being asked to put out a welcome mat. But the Cambodians are arguably a special case ...