Aldaoud is one of hundreds of Chaldean Iraqis — an ancient Catholic sect with roots in modern-day Iraq that has been historically persecuted in the Middle East — who the Trump administration has moved to deport because of previous final orders of removal. Some, like Aldaoud, have lived in the U.S. for decades.
“Jimmy’s death has devastated his family and us. We knew he would not survive if deported. What we don’t know is how many more people ICE will send to their deaths,” Miriam Aukerman, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Michigan branch, told ABC News in a statement earlier this month.
Ahmad Al-rubaye/AFP/Getty Images
Iraqi soldiers inspect the debris on January 22, 2017 at St. George’s Monastery (Mar Gurguis), a historical Chaldean Catholic church on the northern outskirt of Mosul, which was destroyed by Islamic State (IS) group in 2015.
The ACLU was part of a 2017 lawsuit against the administration on behalf of Chaldeans and other Iraqis who have been facing deportation, arguing they had a chance to plead their case in an immigration court first. In June of that year, ICE agents began arresting hundreds of Iraqis in the Detroit area who had final orders of removal because of previous criminal records.
Initially, a federal judge ruled that the group of Iraqis still had the right to appear before an immigration court, in particular because they would face persecution and increased violence in Iraq. More than 300 Iraqis were able to ask an immigration court to rehear their case, with 40 or so winning relief so far, according to the ACLU.
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But last December, a higher court overruled that decision, and this past April, it closed the door to further hearings. Weeks later, Aldaoud was detained by ICE and deported.
“Unfortunately, I believe we can expect to learn of more stories like Jimmy’s if deportations of vulnerable Iraqi nationals continue,” said Rep. Andy Levin, D-Michigan, whose district includes the largest Iraqi-born community in the country.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
