Immigration judge orders removal of beloved Dallas community leader

A Houston Texas immigration court judge on Thursday ordered the removal of Marwan Marouf a Muslim Dallas-area leader renowned for decades of neighborhood function The decision concluded the final merits hearing of his immigration matter and marked the th day of his detention at the Bluebonnet Detention Center Judge Abdias E Tida brought the decision to remove Marouf to Jordan where he has citizenship after minutes of deliberation and an hourslong hearing He denied Marouf s new request for a grant of voluntary departure arguing that the establishment s charges that Marouf engaged in terrorist activity made him ineligible Tida while sympathetic to concerns of Marouf s fitness also discovered that he did not have the authority to compel the administration to remove him as soon as doable per the request of Marouf s legal company Marouf is legally ineligible for all forms of voluntary departure Tida revealed and even if he were eligible under the law the court finds he does not merit it despite any positive qualities he s shown Related ICE upends Dallas Muslim locality with detention of local leader A convoy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles detained Marouf the morning of Sept just days after the regime denied his application for permanent residence He received a notice to appear that accused him of overstaying his visa an allegation the executive later updated to claim he had re-entered the country without a valid visa following a trip abroad Ahead of an Oct hearing the establishment brought new charges alleging Marouf had knowingly solicited funds for and provided material sponsorship to a Tier III terror organization while volunteering for the Holy Land Foundation once the largest Muslim nonprofit in the country in the s Marouf s lawyers family and friends deny all of the proposes as false We know without a doubt that Brother Marwan s matter is winnable truly on the merits Noor Wadi a criminal defense lawyer friend of Marouf and co-leader of the Justice for Marwan campaign informed Salon He is a man who has dependably complied with immigration law and this whole matter is conjecture But what it came down to is ensuring Brother Marwan s physical well-being was prioritized despite that fact she added It is a stain on our legal and moral fabric that cannot be undone by the next voting or the next memo Though Marouf s legal association had previously notified Salon it intended to seek every form of relief resulting in his green card during the hearing lead counsel Marium Uddin explained the judge Thursday that Marouf had earlier decided to withdraw his applications for permanent residence and cancellation of his removal citing his deteriorating healthcare in the Anson Texas ICE facility Marouf has multiple life-threatening biological conditions including Brugada syndrome a serious heart condition marked by irregular rhythm that stress can worsen Instead Marouf sought a post-conclusion voluntary departure which would allow him to leave the country in a set period of time at his own expense reapply for entry to the U S sooner than if he were deported and avoid having a removal order on his record The cabinet though agreeing he should be eligible petitioned the judge to deny his request Marouf ultimately declined to appeal Tida s ruling due to his fitness Marwan Marouf accepted a removal order not as an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing but as a decision born of impossible circumstances imposed by a system that has failed him at every turn Uddin legal director for the Muslim Legal Fund of America informed Salon in a message His decision she announced is instead an act of dignity and self-preservation Start your day with essential news from Salon Sign up for our free morning newsletter Crash Unit Marwan s detention and removal represent a profound loss not just for his family but for the society he has served faithfully for over three decades It is easy to say Marwan has lost America But the truth cuts the other way America has lost Marwan and in doing so has lost a piece of its own promise she added calling the episode a cautionary tale about what happens when systems collapse when legal processes are weaponized and when entire communities are treated as suspect exclusively for existing It is a stain on our legal and moral fabric that cannot be undone by the next electoral process or the next memo Counsel for the regime disclosed Thursday that Marouf could be removed to Jordan within the next two weeks agreeing that he should be removed as soon as achievable We need your help to stay independent Subscribe in the present day to sponsorship Salon s progressive journalism In a announcement posted to Instagram the Justice for Marwan campaign which organized for his release renewed its commitment to fighting for him and other area members facing immigration enforcement action We will not abandon our people the group reported Whether Marwan is in ICE prison or free in another country we will continue to fight for him and for all those facing unjust exile and wrongful incarceration We will not allow the state to erase their stories it continued And we will continue to organize pray advocate and stand shoulder-to-shoulder until justice prevails Read more about immigration under Trump ICE arrest at Chicago day care was beyond traumatic Federal agents storm Chicago apartment building detain kids The courts are being weaponized Democrats react to Khalil deportation order The post Immigration judge orders removal of beloved Dallas district leader appeared first on Salon com