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July 26, 2004 Honor Farouk with solidarity for detainees TODAY We are asking you to take a few minutes on Monday, July 26, 2004, to remember Farouk by making phone calls or faxing letters in support of two other immigration detainees: Pakistani immigrant Ansar Mahmood, currently held in Batavia, NY, and Salim Yassir, a Palestinian who has been held in the Elizabeth Detention Center in NJ for four years.We've included a sample letter about Salim Yassir. Thanks for your continued support. 1) For Ansar Mahmood: Call the office of Department of Homeland Security head Tom Ridge at 202-282-8000 and ask him not to deport Ansar Mahmood. Ansar was a legal resident in the Hudson Valley area arrested soon after 9/11 because he wanted a photo of local scenery to send back to family in Pakistan; the scenery included a reservoir. After establishing that Ansar was not in fact a terrorist, the government used minor violations under rarely enforced immigration laws as a pretext for ordering Ansar's deportation. His supporters, along with a number of members of Congress, have asked Homeland Security to grant Ansar deferred action status, which would permit him to stay in the US and return to his job as a pizza delivery person. In addition, contact your senator and/or representative and ask them to put pressure on Mr. Ridge to stop Ansar's deportation. (Call 1-800-839-5276). For more information: Bob Elmendorf, 518-766-2992, poetapoetus@earthlink.net, http://www.chathampeace.org 2) For Salim Yassir: Fax: John Tsoukaris, United States Department of Homeland Security US-ICE Headquarters Post-Order Detention Unit, fax # 202-353-9435 Ask him to release Salim Yassir (A78 820 978) since there is no possibility of his removal from the US. Both Israel and the PLO have confirmed in writing that, pursuant to the Oslo Accords, Salim is ineligible for repatriation into the territories or Israel proper. He has two sponsors who will provide him with housing, job training/assistance and food and will take responsibility to ensure that he obeys any terms of supervised release. For more information: contact Teresa Woods, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc, 973-733-3516 X208, clinicteresa@aol.com or Joshua Bardavid, Law Office of Theodore N. Cox, 212-925-1208, JEB7006@aol.com *** SAMPLE LETTER:
John Tsoukaris RE: YASSIR, Salim, A78 820 978 Dear Mr. Tsoukaris: I am writing on behalf of Mr. Salim Yassir who has been detained for four years at the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey. I strongly believe that Mr. Yassir should be released immediately from the detention center, into the care and supervision of his sponsors. Mr. Yassir has been awaiting deportation since his arrival in the United States in 2000, yet there is no possibility of removal since both Israel and the PLO have confirmed in writing that, pursuant to the Oslo Accords, Mr. Yassir is ineligible for repatriation into the territories or Israel proper. Mr. Yassir is a non-criminal, non-violent detainee who has maintained an impeccable record of behavior while in detention. He has also provided the government with two sponsors who will provide him with housing, job training/assistance, and food. In addition, these sponsors have stated that they will take responsibility to ensure that Mr. Yassir obeys any terms of supervised release. Mr. Yassir's continued detention costs taxpayers $155.00 per day, as estimated by the government. His detention is a waste of taxpayer money, particularly since Mr. Yassir presents no danger to society and has provided suitable alternatives to detention, through his sponsors. Finally, Mr. Yassir has been detained for four years in a facility that was intended for short-term detentions. There are no outdoor areas, so Mr. Yassir has not seen the light of day since 2000. Please release Mr. Salim Yassir from the Elizabeth Detention Center. Sincerely,
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Posted by aderkon on July 26, 2004 02:08 PM
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