The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil-rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the abduction of longtime North Carolina resident, father of five and Libyan asylum-seeker Mohamed Ali Aboubaker Naser, who was taken into custody by ICE agents who reportedly misidentified him as an Iranian citizen.
In a statement, CAIR Community Advocacy Director Nicole Fauster-Bradford said:
“We strongly condemn ICE for abducting longtime North Carolina resident, father of five and asylum seeker Mohamed Ali Aboubaker Naser, who is legally present in the United States. Abducting Mr. Naser is bad enough, and interrogating him about Iran in an apparent case of mistaken identity adds insult to injury. This abduction of a legal resident shows what happens when immigration agents try to carry out bigoted, politically motivated demands for mass deportation. ‘Just following orders’ is never an excuse for profiling people based on their nationality, imaginary or real. ICE leadership must send Mr. Naser back to his family in North Carolina and stop the mass targeting of immigrants, especially those who are legally present in our nation.”
According to eyewitness accounts and his attorney, three men in plain clothes arrived at Naser’s home on the morning of July 15, making demands of his family to turn him over to the authorities. Naser was at work at that time. The agents waited and returned two hours later wearing tactical vests marked “POLICE” but displayed no badges or warrant. The agents allegedly threatened his family with pepper spray during a 90-minute standoff before leaving.
The next day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents abducted Naser on his way to work. During an ICE interrogation session, agents questioned him extensively about Iran, the Iran/Israel conflict, Iranian geo-politics at large, and the Iranian community in the United States – despite his having no citizenship or familial ties to that country.
CAIR calls on ICE to immediately release Naser, who has reportedly been transferred to Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center, a private prison known for abuses of prisoners. Naser entered the United States legally on a visitor visa and filed for asylum; his case remains pending. He has no criminal record other than three dismissed traffic infractions from 2016. Three of his five children are U.S. citizens.
In a statement, Helen Parsonage, Esq., Naser’s attorney, added, “This whole detention and interrogation was a fiasco and an outrage, and the agent knew it. Because of this administration’s zero release policy and daily goals for detentions that officers must meet, Mohamed was not sent home to his family. Despite the fact that this was all a mistake. Despite the fact that Mohamed has followed every rule. Despite the fact that he entered the country with a valid visa. Despite the fact that he applied for asylum within the time limit set out by law. Despite the fact that he applied for employment authorizations so he can work legally. Despite the fact that he is raising a family and is a beloved and respected member of his community.”
CONTACT: CAIR Community Advocacy Director Nicole Fauster-Bradford, n-fauster@cair.com, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; AIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
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