The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), along with the Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin, welcomed the recent release of its client, Aliakbar Manaie, from immigration detention after a federal court granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) following a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
Originally from Iran, Manaie has been on parole—a discretionary release from detention that permits individuals to remain in the U.S. under certain conditions without being detained—since 2017. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surveilled Manaie at his residence and workplace for days before abducting him from outside his home on Thursday, March 26, with no explanation as to why his parole status had been revoked.
Following the filing of a TRO and a habeas petition by the Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin challenging Manaie’s detention, the federal court found it likely that ICE violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process by re-detaining him. Accordingly, the federal court granted the TRO while the habeas petition remains pending.
In a statement, Stacy Tolchin, Esq., said:
“We are thrilled that Mr. Manaie has been released from ICE detention and reunited with his family—including his children, who witnessed his arrest—but Mr. Manaie should never have been detained in the first place. His arrest highlights ICE’s pattern of refusal to follow the rule of law before targeting and detaining individuals under the cover of the Trump administration’s reckless immigration policies. It should not take the intervention of a district court for immigration authorities to recognize that Mr. Manaie was previously released on parole by ICE more than a decade ago and has pending removal proceedings.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Immigrants’ Rights Senior Managing Attorney Amina Fields, Esq., said:
“We are happy that Mr. Manaie is now home with his family. His release reaffirms the fact that the government cannot sidestep constitutional protections. Our office continues to receive requests for immigration assistance from community members, many of whom have pathways to legal status in the U.S, who are being targeted by ICE and detained with no explanation or lawful justification. The Trump administration must no longer be allowed to blatantly and dangerously disregard due process and continue putting the rights, safety, and well-being of countless individuals and families at risk.”
CAIR-LA recently welcomed the release of two of its clients from immigration detention after a federal court granted the organization’s separate petitions for a writ of habeas corpus. Federal judges found that both clients were detained by ICE unlawfully and ordered their release under the protection of the court.
If you or someone you know require immigration legal assistance, contact CAIR-LA’s Immigrants’ Rights Center at (714) 776-1177 (ext. 1) or click here to submit an intake form.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Senior Communications Coordinator Madi Hameed, mmorsehameed@cair.com