"One thing is unclear. When Mr. Abdul moved from his old address, did he inform ICE of the move and give them his new address? If so, then shame on them. If not, then shame on him." Ever hear of mail being forwarded? Over a year later after I moved, I am STILL receiving forwarded mail from the USPS...go figure.

Yes, I've heard of "mail forwarding", the last thing I'd rely on when dealing with Immigration agencies, my bank, doctor, etc. I'd pick up the phone or tell them in person that I had a new address.

Well, if it is so tough for him here perhaps he can go somewhere else, like Zimbabwe.

The problem with our emptying out countries of their opposition parties by letting them come here is that there is no one left internally to fight for the change they allege they seek in their home countries. We do them no service by allowing them to come here instead of working toward that change.

If they would resolve things we wouldn't ultimately wind up sending our troops to fight their battles.

He mostly like did change his address. Otherwise ICE would have charged him with another offense. See- immigrant have to file a change of address form AR-11 within 11 days. Guess where do these change of address form go? in a warehouse . This is one of those gotcha forms the fed use when its convenient. He mostly filed his AR-11 but it was never processed.

If you have on-going petition, you have to call and change the address separately. I don't know if he did that. Well- guess what - if you change the address , USCIS will still use the old address. It happens most often than you think.

@Keastral , @Nikolaus20

USCIS , ICE, DHS mail is not forwarded - actually- many types of Government mail is not forwarded.

@Nikolaus20, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I am not normally a fan of the government, but I tend to believe that Mr. Adbul screwed up. When you are here on a visa (unless it is for less than 30 days), or green card, you have 10 days to notify ICE when you move. I know this from my ex-wife, who was a green-card holder, and now, a citizen (because she is a citizen now, she no longer has that requirement).

You can ONLY change your address online or by using Form AR-11. You cannot call in a change of address.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=2e5174ab3d2fa210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

After dealing with the IRS on a similar issue, my sympathies are with him. I worked for the post office while in college and trust me, there are many scenarios which could have caused this to happen.

As for the government, I remember writing up a truck because the back rolling door kept falling on me; it wouldn't stay up. Well, they claimed they fixed it, but it fell on me again, and this time they wrote ME up for not reporting it. They lost the repair ticket. Thank God I found my copy. Imagine being disciplined for them screwing up? The person who failed to fix the door claimed not to remember doing it (lied), yet no one else was ever reprimanded. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

@Kevin C-752389

The fact that he could prove that he never received the mail means that -

1. He proved he provided a correct address.

2. DHS/ICE sent the mail to old address.

Just because you file AR-11 doesn't mean it is processed and that too, it processed correctly. Even then the change of address doesn't apply to on-going petitions.

Nikolaus said:

Mr. Abdul is here legally, but I don't understand how illegal aliens can be deported for lacking mailing addresses. They're deported for being illegal aliens.

Many are deported because of paperwork loss or government error, not for being 'illegal'.Actually, if you read the paragraph you quoted, they were 'immigrants'. They were here legally, and the government knew they were here legally if they were sending mail--the addresses just got lost.

But the number of such deportations surged in the mid-2000s – including a one-year spike of 80 percent to 126,000 in 2005, according to the Government Accountability Office -- in part because the Department of Homeland Security lacked mailing address for many immigrants. "

You have to use a paper form to file a change of address. Given that the wait time for paperwork from USCIS can sometimes take 16-20 years, how long do you think it takes them to process a change of address form?

Homeland Security is very good at deporting. they are not good at processing paperwork in a timely matter. This despite their budget jump from $49 million in 2002 to their current budget of between $58 billion to $98 billion.

Hey, Homeland Security--instead of pouring our tax dollars into computer programs that can predict who might commit a crime in the future, can you put more people in jobs and process paperwork quicker so stuff like this doesn't happen to people today?

@HB-553484, it proves no such thing: Either side could have screwed up, but I still bet on someone not realizing they have the requirement to change an address in 10 days (not 11 as you stated earlier, check my link above if you question that).

In any case, if I were an immigrant, I would always change my address online. Then you have little worry about your form being lost in the mail, or in an office.

KevinC said;

In any case, if I were an immigrant, I would always change my address online. Then you have little worry about your form being lost in the mail, or in an office.

Not all immigrants are computer-savvy, or even know that they can file the form online. And in any case, even if you fill the form out online, someone still has to check it, verify the address as genuine, and place it in the appropriate file.

So. Happens to normal people too. Go ahead and forget to tell the pistol permit folks you changed address. You won't do it twice.

Amanda, try re-reading the paragraph in question. It explicitly states immigrants - legal and illegal - ...

Homeland security is installing cameras everywhere, listening in illegally on our phone conversations, and reading (illegally, they've admitted it) our emails. But they couldn't find the info on this man for four months?

Norm903: You do understand that if he is deported to Zimbabwe that he will most likely be killed. That is why he requested - and was granted - political assylum in the first place. There are no "opposition parties" in some countries because the second they oppose the dictator, they are killed. Zimbabwe isn't like the US in that people who open their mouths for change here are allowed to live.

Enjoy your freedom because not everyone is fortunate enough to have that freedom.

Scenarios like this happen to people all the time even in cases where the individual is obviously not trying to live in the US illegally.

I know a family who moved to the US from Canada but their oldest son stayed behind to finish school. His younger brother (about 14) came back up to visit him one year and as he was crossing the border to go back home to the US he was detained because there was an error in his paperwork (not his fault). The child ended up staying in detention for a couple of weeks.

My husband used to work for car dealerships in the US. There would be a group of expert sales people that dealerships would hire to come and run sales for them for a couple days at a time to boost revenue. Every once in awhile immigration would stop by to check their paperwork. One guy in the group had an issue with his papers (filed wrong) and so he was sent to an LA prison. The guy was about 5'7 130lb soaking wet, never committed a crime before and as locked up with gang members and murderers. He literally witnessed someone getting killed right in front of his eyes. When standing in line waiting to eat, an inmate smashed the man standing in front of him in the head with a pipe so hard he says his head exploded on him. They guy has never been the same since.

Perhaps the problem here is that the people in charge of keeping immigrants files up to date need to be more diligent when it comes to paperwork. Peoples lives are on the line.

Amanda, what are you talking about? That paragraph said:

"Thousands of immigrants – both legal and illegal -- are deported “in absentia” each year, sometimes after intentionally skipping court dates and becoming fugitives. But the number of such deportations surged in the mid-2000s – including a one-year spike of 80 percent to 126,000 in 2005, according to the Government Accountability Office -- in part because the Department of Homeland Security lacked mailing addresses for many immigrants. "

Calling someone an immigrant doesn't make their presence legal.

Wes,

I was about to call that to Amanda's attention as well. Amanda if you are going to quote the paragraph then quote the WHOLE thing not just inserts. The paragraph clearly sated at the beginning that the statistics were from BOTH legal and ILLEGAL immigrants.

The most worn out excuse in the entire legal system, criminal and civil, is "I didn't get the notice".

I received a letter from the Internal Revenue of Colorado once claiming that they had documentation to show that I had received a certain amount of money a few years ago, but no documentation that taxes had been taken out. They demanded the W-2 form for that year as proof.

Well then, I had the proof, but something was fishy. Was told that the IRC often 'lost' certain documents intentionally with the hope that you would not answer their letters and then they can start charging you even more for taxes they already received.

I sent a nice little letter right back asking them how they had the W-2 form that reported my wages, but lost the exact same W-2 form that had the exact amount of what had also been taken out. I invoked my federal right to have the debt verified instead of sending in my W-2 form, just to see what would happen, along with a little vague threat of a lawsuit. I got a letter before the month was up saying that there had been a mistake and it had been corrected.

Wes, Patrick, USA is Great:

Thank you, I should have quoted the whole paragraph. I'll keep that in mind for next time. Thanks!

j70141 in Colorado = =

Wow - you really taught them a lesson didn't you?

Did the activist really state that the Alabama Jail had "Jail-like" conditions? Are you kidding me? I suppose that would be because it IS A JAIL. That would be why there would be "JAil-Like" conditions.

If the government is indeed at fault in this case for not updating his records if he provided an address, then it's one more argument against Obama's administrative amnesty. DHS can't even keep track of the LEGAL immigrants it has, yet we're supposed to believe that it's going to process and check a couple of million ILLEGAL ALIENS who have every motivation to commit fraud?

Nikolaus20- you are suppose to update any employment and living changes to your immigration office. The article has left out the detail regarding if he was or was not properly keeping his office informed. If not, he got what he deserved. Another NBC sob story on immigration and how we should lower the bar.

during my divorce, I changed my address to my parents, they sent mail there for at least 2 months, suddenly the hearing date and info was sent to my old address.....and I never even went because I didn't know and my ex told me it was the day after....I was young and didnt know better i guess

lives are ruined everyday because of insufficiency's, that people do on/at their job, and then at the end of the day they just drive home with no care in the world...

Any way you cut it, you really really want these people taking care of your health care, also?

Also, I dont see the problem here? They made him Illegal at one point, so under Obamacare give him disability and unemployment and food stamps and send him home to Atlanta? If he is now illegal, he should fit right in?

Does he drive? If so did he change his drivers license or was that lost too? I don't doubt his argument, I know there is so many unjust things in this country, but if he forgot to change every address, even with the post office then its his own fault. Did he deserve to be treated like a murderer, Hell no! this country is turing into one giant Prison system....and healthcare for all inmates er citizens.

(i know they don't forward gov. mail but it could be proof he did the steps required by all citizens in the US, we cannot move without changing our drivers licenses w/i 10 days, same as immigration)

Bravo MSNBC on creating another sob story to show how you feel that American border laws shouldn't be enforced.

He was detained in 2006 and arrested in 2007 and you managed to dig this up now 5 years later and call it news? Gee, what could be the motivation?... a political agenda?

If anyone tried they dig up stories like this for every single law in existence... being petty enough and desperate enough to actually do it is another story.

P.S.

By not updating Immigration of your current address you are asking for a misunderstanding to occur.

Nikolaus20 I would think this man did submit the address change to ICE. If he hadn't, then ICE would have an iron case against him and the deportation order would have gone through. Since he was released it it most likely ICE admitted their error (of course not to the public, oh no not in public) so the case went in favor of Abdul. Guess an ICE Dataentry tech goofed or didn't get to the address change.

What happened to journalistic excellence? One of the sentences in the above article suggests that Zimbabwe dictator, Robert Mugabe has asked for political asylum in the United States !!!

When I read the headlines, I automatically thought, someone brown skinned, African, Middle Easterner, or Mexican. A blond, blue eyed European never entered my mind. To read in the first couple of posts, some idiot stating, "even the name Abdul scares him," is pathetic. What a scary chump!!!

Why not do a story on the "Hell on Earth" that HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF Americans and LEGAL immigrants are being subjected to VIA THE FAILURE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS!!! Why focus on one individual when you have hundreds of millions of people who are being harmed by virtue of the FAILURE OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE ITS OWN LAWS!!!!

Held 120 days in an American jail described as "Hell on Earth"....REALLY?

How is he a political opponent of Robert Mugabe? Zimbabwe prisons are better?

Yes, SOB, he looks well fed, safe, in clean clothes... compared to what has become of Rhodesia nowadays, he is not in hell, but at the worst, in a gentle purgatory...

Debnran (post#1.17) Yes, if he returns or had stayed in the first place, yes, he might be killed or he might head for the hills, form a resistance party, and fight for the rights he came to seek here but, as a non-citizen, isn't eligible for. His comment about hell on earth is comical; based on what you describe and his fleeing Zimbabwe it seems he was more fearful about staying there.

Again, if we allow non-democracies and dictators to empty out the opposition and send them here who is left to fight for freedom? Let them stay and fight as opposed to cry out to Uncle Sam to send in the troops. It is their battle, not ours. This applies to the Vietnamese who came over, the Iraqis, etc. Stay and create the change you desire.

I'm a citizen and veteran and I'll say with 100% certainty if you send a form to the federal government or anything else, there's a better chance of nothing being done than of something being done. It took three years for them to reply to one request for documentation that I made.

I am not normally a fan of the government, but I tend to believe that Mr. Adbul screwed up.

A lot of people want to know this.

What I want to know is - should a failure of not sending in your change of address mean that you should be sent to jail indefinitely?

Some of you really have no clue when it comes to our own immigration laws do you? How many of you have ever even had the need to learn our immigration laws and actually navigate them? Not many, I imagine.

I met my husband in Scotland in 2002. After much discussion, we decided for him to move here. I had to learn all the bureaucratic rules and procedures and forms to file to allow him to move here, then become a Permanent Resident and to eventually become a naturalized citizen. I've read plenty of immigration horror stories over the years, and this guys story is far from the exception. While some of the horror stories were caused by an incorrectly followed procedure, there were just as many horror stories caused directly by USCIS when they f***ed up. But when USCIS f***s up, the immigrant suffers, not anyone else. On several of the immigration forums I frequent, there is a long running bit of advice to pretty much not move if you have an application pending. Why? Because there's no guarantee that a properly filed AR-11 change of address form will actually be processed. You cannot simply call over the phone to have it changed. And if they send an appointment letter, and you don't get it because they sent to the old address, or an incorrect address, the immigrant is the one that suffers for it. There is no accountability for USCIS whatsoever. And USCIS mail is not forwarded, so putting in a mail forward with the USPS won't do a fat lot of good.

In addition, for every application or form (even a change of address form), we had to always mail a package with 'delivery confirmation' and even 'return receipt requested' because the onus is always on you, the immigrant, to prove that you sent the document and that USCIS actually received it. To this day, even though my husband is now naturalized, we still have all of our submitted docs and receipts just in case some error pops up in a database somewhere that says he has a different status. Keeping that documentation is probably how this guy was able to prove that USCIS mishandled a change of address, and was able to plead his case to keep from being deported. It's ridiculous the lengths you have to go to to CYA when dealing with USCIS, since the ramifications can have such a huge impact on a person's life. Heck, to this day, I still have anxiety about what if our house burns down, and we lose all that documentation, including his naturalization certificate because that's the only proof we have of his status as a citizen and his right to live here. Do any of you understand that anxiety that a simple loss of paperwork could result in having your spouse of over 8yrs deported?

And just how fair is it, that they expect an immigrant to stay in the same location for the years it takes to process applications, so they don't hit this sort of snafu?

"Living in the U.S. LEGALLY"......"seeking political asylum".....

So which is it ?

How can a person be "living in the U.S. legally" while "seeking political asylum" ?

Heck, just claim that you are "undocumented" and fill out the "Amnesty" forms to meet Mr. Obama's criteria.

Time to re-look at the sexual predators requirement to have an updated mailing address.

Because the 'asylum seeker' process allows a person to live in the US while the application is pending. There are several such visas that allow this. Just because an application is pending doesn't mean one has to leave the country.

Carol -

You suggest that the right hand and left hand are on the same body. I propose there are actually two bodies - each with a mind of its own...and both being amputees.

cite your 36% source pls or i discredit your comment....sry but its all in the paperwork

Ditto. A family member sent in a notification of change of address, they made changes to her record but "forgot" to update the mailing list. She failed to show for a court hearing and was arrested. Despite proving it was their fault she was given no breaks, she paid very dearly for their mistake.

I just received papers for court regarding my adopted son. I adopted him 10 years ago, yet his birth mother's name is on the document, not mine. If I were to miss the next hearing, you can bet I would be in big trouble even though the judge wrote out the order for the wrong person. She was given the wrong name by one of our govt boondoggles.

Dead on spot! He is here legally, proved to the judge that he never got the letter, and he is STILL required to post a bond and is facing deportation? Yet a woman can stand on the steps of a courthouse (or where ever it was a few days ago) yelling that she is an undocumented alien, DEMAND RIGHTS, and her butt is not arrested and deported? Seriously?

armurray said;

So ICE can lock up legal immigrants for months, but are not allowed to do anything about illegal immigrants. Great policy!

Excuse me. The government's designation of a particular person as 'illegal' can have little to do with having come here legally or having broken any laws. Right now anyone detained by Homeland Security is declared illegal even if they are legal and can prove that they have paperwork in progress and it was government/paperwork error. This is why President Obama deferred deportations of non-criminal 'illegal'--focus on getting the lawbreakers and the ones who are clearly illegal out first, then evaluate the non-criminal 'illegal' (like this guy) on a case by case bast.

I was adopted internationally as an infant, never told before my parents passed away in a car accident. 18 years after my adoption, USCIS finds they have lost my adoption paper, sends ICE to get a copy. I told them I'd never known I was adopted and had no idea where to get a copy of the adoption decree, they placed me in deportation as an illegal.

Then they found out there was nowhere to deport me since I was abandoned as an infant with no paperwork, and I legally have no biological parents, no home country, no birthday--I have no idea how old I really am. So they told me I'd remain in deportation indefinitely until I gave them a copy of that adoption decree. It took me three years of writing to every courthouse in three states trying to find out where my adoption had been filed.

I wasn't 'illegal'--no crime had been committed. It wasn't a crime for the government to lose my paper--they lose stuff all the time. It wasn't a crime for my parents not to have told me I was adopted, it wasn't a crime for me not to have had that paper. I hadn't come illegally--all my paperwork was paid for and filed by my parents, and I was a legal US citizen for 18 years of my life. My citizenship was only revoked because THEY lost my paper.

Which really explains a lot.

Amanda-2017567,

I'm in complete agreement with you. Your situation is another great example of the problem with the government immigration policies. They focus on people like yourself where at worst, there are questions about status.

I believe that instead, they should focus on people who are known to be here illegally.

No, Amanda, you were almost deported because you or your parents didn't have the paper. It's up to YOU to prove you have a right to be here; not up to ICE to prove you don't. As another poster pointed out, he had to search several states to find the records he needed and he knew what he was looking for. It's literally impossible for someone to prove a negative, i.e. that you were NOT born in the U.S., hence the responsibility falls on you (or any American) to prove they were born here or otherwise acquired US citizenship.

Moreover, instances such as yours are relatively few. 2 million illegal alien "children" weren't adopted by Americans and then lost their paperwork. And you can bet if they'd had any basis for claiming citizenship they would have done it before now. Simple fact is, their PARENTS brought them here illegally, they themselves became responsible for their own lack of status at age 18, and Obama's policy amnesties not only them but the parents who brought them here illegally.

Ali Alexander said;

No, Amanda, you were almost deported because you or your parents didn't have the paper.

i understand that. The government should not be held responsible because they lost a document. My parents were dead by this time, so they aren't responsible. I am not responsible because I was never told I was adopted. I know that intellectually, but from an emotional standpoint, it was just a perfect storm of coincidences that combined to ruin my life.

It's up to YOU to prove you have a right to be here; not up to ICE to prove you don't.

Guilty until proven innocent.

As another poster pointed out, he had to search several states to find the records he needed and he knew what he was looking for. It's literally impossible for someone to prove a negative, i.e. that you were NOT born in the U.S., hence the responsibility falls on you (or any American) to prove they were born here or otherwise acquired US citizenship.

They had the birth certificate that my parents got after they adopted me--its customary,after an adoption either domestic or international, to show the decree to a judge and a judge then issues a new birth certificate with the adoptive parents names on it and the place of residence as place of birth. I had that, and having that is usuallyproof that an adoption had taken place. I had a brand new DL, having just turned 18, and a legal SS card. I still had tax records showing me as their dependent, and I had report cards and school papers showing I'd been in US schools for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Moreover, instances such as yours are relatively few.

As far as adoption goes, yes, there's a law now passed that gives automatic citizenship upon adoption. However, I was adopted before that was passed.

As far as children being detained...

Detained unaccompanied minors:
Undocumented unaccompanied minors (UAMs) are detained in the US often after crossing the US–Mexican border, or after being caught in ICE interior raids. There are 400 UAM cases detained each year in Miami alone and around 8,000 UAMs detained nationally, mostly in Texas and Arizona. The average age is 15-17 years with many children from Guatemala, Honduras and elsewhere in Central America.
While there have been significant changes in the treatment and care of UAMs since 2002, and the introduction of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) who are now responsible for UAMs, ongoing concerns remain, including:
· In Miami, UAMs detained by ICE, are then handed over to ORR, who detain the child in 1 of 3 detention centres or shelters in Miami. The responsibility for running these centres is sub-contracted.
· Children who have not committed any crime may also be in placed in secure and staff-secure facilities, normally used for criminal juvenile detention cases.
· While welfare and healthcare for UAMs have improved since the introduction of ORR, there were cases noted of children not receiving adequate health or welfare assistance and high levels of isolation, psychological trauma and mental health issues, including self-harm attempts.
· Information disclosed by children who have received medical care and counseling may be given to ICE and may be used against them in their legal case to remain in the country.
· The average time of detention is 50 days, with cases of up to 2 years. The IDC met a boy who had been detained for more than 3 years since the age of 14, moved between 5 detention centres in 4 states, including a juvenile criminal centre where he experienced assault from a guard, with extended periods without legal counsel.
· While ORR are required in the first instance to look for alternative arrangements for UAMs, this often does not occur, particularly with release options limited to the few foster-care places available or in finding a sponsor willing to take on guardianship. Relatives often won’t come forward or visit, as they fear detention and deportation, placing children under high pressure not to disclose or contact their undocumented family members.
· About 60% of children do get reunitied, and there is some foster-care for very young children, usually under 12 years of age, however the youngest child the IDC observed was a 6 year old boy on his own, and a 5 years old girl detained in BoysTown, together with her older sister.
· While FIAC represent all UAM cases in the South Florida area, UAM children in the USA are not appointed council, with an estimated 50- 70% of UAM children not represented throughout the country.
· A positive development following FIAC’s advocacy has been the assignment of one judge to work on UAM cases in Miami, giving greater consistency in decision-making and expertise of the judiciary.
Child Deportations:
US law states that children must be escorted during deportations, and not removed together with adults, and females escorted only by females, however there have been numerous reports that this does not always occur, with children being left in the country of return with limited support and handovers to child authorities in UAM cases not occurring.
There have been concerns raised that families are being separated during the deportation process, pregnant women who have been raided, detained, chained and subsequently deported and mothers not knowing where their children were deported to.

Todd said;

How can they consider keeping someone in jail not a punishment? Taking away someone's freedom is the worst punishment you can inflict.

No. It's not. When I was first detained (see post above at 3.2), it seemed like it--I spent time in regular jail waiting for space to open up in a deportation camp, yes, the lack of freedom was the worst thing I could think of.

When I got to the deportation camp I desperately wanted to be back in the jail. Food deprivation, sleep deprivation, maggots in the food, no eating utensils, showers and toilets in full view of guards who got their rocks off watching us pee and shower, strip searches and body cavity searches performed by a guard without regard to gender. There were many times when one of these body cavity searches left me bleeding. Underwear given me was still crusted with blood from another woman's period, having never been washed, so I got numerous urinary tract infections and vaginal yeast infections, my pregnant neighbor was raped by the camp chaplain. When the guards got bored they'd pick one of us 'stuck' ones, the ones who couldn't be deported and had little hope of getting out because of missing paperwork, tell us to strip and kneel,hold a gun to our heads and pull the trigger--on an empty gun. After the first few times you sorta got used to the idea it was empty but it didn't keep you from wondering, maybe once, 'is it not going to be empty?' or 'did he miss a bullet...?'

Lost freedom I could deal with. The mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse were the worst.

Amanda - if that happened, why didn't you do something about it when you got out? Really all you'd have had to do would be to contact a reporter, and a lawyer.

Amanda,

REALLY!!!!! Since these deportation camps are so bad as you described above then why have YOU not notified the police and a lawyer for that matter and bring to light those atrocities? Stop bitching about what "supposedly" happened to you and do something about it. That is what is wrong with the Illegal lovers out here. You all think that the US should just deal with you instead of you taking a stand and fixing the problem. I was taught that you dont come to the table with just a problem but that you come to the table with a solution as well.

Amanda I don't believe you, no one ever treated you like that but you do have promise as an author of fiction books. More to the point I resent you spreading lies about this country on the internet regardless your background. And how do I know its all lies. If it were true you and your similarly situated associates would have sued for millions just like everyone else looking to hit the ghetto lottery, especially given all the witnesses you apparently have given your description of events.

debnran said:

Amanda - if that happened, why didn't you do something about it when you got out? Really all you'd have had to do would be to contact a reporter, and a lawyer.

usa is great said;

REALLY!!!!! Since these deportation camps are so bad as you described above then why have YOU not notified the police and a lawyer for that matter and bring to light those atrocities?

mike holmes said;

Amanda I don't believe you, no one ever treated you like that but you do have promise as an author of fiction books. More to the point I resent you spreading lies about this country on the internet regardless your background. And how do I know its all lies. If it were true you and your similarly situated associates would have sued for millions just like everyone else looking to hit the ghetto lottery, especially given all the witnesses you apparently have given your description of events.

One; no one would listen. I was illegal. Even today no one wants to hear it and they don't believe even after ICE's own reports of the facility I was in showed deficiencies. Do a Google search for 'Willacy County Processing Facility' in Raymondville TX. Look at the reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch. See why they called it 'Ritmo', why they said it reminded them of Guantanamo Bay. Find the 2007 report ICE did on this private deportation camp.

Two; after having gotten out, I was homeless and broke. I had to worry about finding a place to sleep, food to eat, job, etc.

Three: When I got out DHS/ICE made it perfectly clear that should my name come up again for any reason whatsoever, they have the authority to revoke my citizenship, permanently, and place me back in deportation. As there is nowhere to deport me to, it means I would remain in deportation for the rest of my life. For this reason I do not drive nor have a car, I ride public transportation or my bicycle, and I don't talk to press. I am now married, have two children, my hubby is disabled and can't work, and my youngest son is autistic. I CANNOT go back into deportation--and yes they know where to find me, I have to tell every employer I apply with that I'm a former illegal and I have a three year prison record with immigration,even though my background check comes up squeaky clean with no arrests (undocumented detainees like me,who have committed no crimes, are civilly detained,not arrested,so it doesn't come up on a background check and there is no opportunity to have a judge hear the case, no lawyer, no hearing or trial, no bond or bail.)

Four: Homeland Security, its employees and component divisions are indemnified against lawsuits when they are acting in the interests of national security.

I just wanted to get on with my life, keep my head down, nose clean. I rarely call 911 for incidents in which I leave my name and number--usually I ask to remain anonymous unless I'm the only witness in an incident.

USA is great said:

You all think that the US should just deal with you instead of you taking a stand and fixing the problem.

See above post for reasons behind that.

I was taught that you dont come to the table with just a problem but that you come to the table with a solution as well.

Dad taught me that too. Taught me a lot of things. I've had a lot of time to think about this, and here's my solution:

1. Refine the definition of 'illegal'. Illegal should mean those who hopped the border to do drugs and shot a cop on the way. No amnesty no matter how long ago the incident occurred. 'Illegal' should NOT mean those who came here legally but ICE took 16 years to process their applications. 'Illegal' should not mean those for whom ICE lost paperwork a decade after the fact. 'Illegal' should NOT mean those who were trafficked in as children, either through international adoption by crooked adoption agencies, by legal American citizen pedophiles for child sex or child porn, by their illegal parents, or are refugees. Yes, I am advocating amnesty--for anyone under 18 or who was under 18 at the time the offence was committed.

2. Close the borders. Use the returning troops from the war to secure our northern and southern borders if necessary. Send out advance notice to the world a year in advance that we will be closing our borders. This will give everyone who wants to immigrate to the US time to get their applications in prior to the closure date. Stress to the world that we are NOT closing our borders forever, we are NOT going to become isolationists; we just need to get caught up on the paperwork backlog. Keep the borders closed for 2 years or until ICE catches up.

3. Use the time the borders are closed to catch up on the enormous backlog of applications waiting to be processed. In 2010, ICE was just getting to applications filed by Mexicans in 1994, China in 2001.

4. For those already in detention: prioritize the cases. Deport the truly 'illegal' first (see above definitions) then address cases for minor children, elderly/infirm, and terminally ill. Don't make those children wait for years in detention, it's inhumane. Offer them basic English language and civics classes while they are in detention so they will learn about our country; instead of penalizing them for their ignorance, offer them a chance to learn.

5. If you have a case of someone who came here legally but ICE has not gotten to their paperwork and time expired (undocumented), release them on electronic monitoring once they have not been deemed a flight risk. This will ease the overcrowding in deportation camps and make room for more of the truly illegal, higher-priority cases--ICE's own stats say electronic monitoring has a 98% compliance rate--98&% of people released on electronic monitoring do show up in court for their immigration hearing. A 2009 Associated Press article said an examination of ICE records showed that ICE currently asks Congress for $1.7 billion to detain 33,000 people per year ($141 per night) and 18,000 of those people were simply undocumented and had not committed any crimes. Do the math:

18,0000 people x $141 per night x 365 day a year=$926,370,000

Releasing those 18,000 undocumented, non-flight-risk elderly, terminally ill, and minor children on electronic monitoring would free up $926 million. That should be enough to hire more pencil pushers to get caught up on the backlogged paperwork and detain and deport more of the truly illegal in the 2 yr deadline above. Also add in the funds from the 'seized civil assets' the government takes from those who are detained and deported as illegal, that's a lot of money, definitely enough to get caught up on he paperwork backlog.

6. Improve conditions for those in detention. I'm not saying they should have bingo night and TVs in every cell. I'm talking about adequate food; no meals with maggots, please give us eating utensils, and please give us clean underclothes and jumpsuits; NO ONE should have to wear underclothes still crusted by another woman’s period. And adequate medical care; if someone is having a seizure don't tell them to fill out form for an aspirin. If someone is on medication for something please allow them to continue taking those meds. Look up 'Victoria Arellano' for an example.

7. Allow non-violent ICE detainees out on a day-labor program. You do it for nonviolent offenders, why should we be treated any different? Sitting for 24 hours a day in a deportation camp does no one any good whatsoever. The detainee has nothing to do but go crazy; let us out to work while we wait for the judge to throw us out.

8. If the judge says they have proved they are a citizen RELEASE THEM. There is absolutely no excuse for keeping someone after a judge has ruled they should be released. Look up George Ibarra.

9. If someone says they have proof that they are indeed a US citizen or a diplomat from another country, INVESTIGATE. The law of the US is 'innocent until proven guilty', not 'guilty until YOU prove you're innocent.' Don't automatically assume that because the person looks Latino or foreign that they MUST be here illegally. Look at Hans Keil of American Samoa.

10. ACCOUNTABILTY. If one of us dies in ICE custody our legal US citizen relatives have a right to know if we have died! It won't matter to us, we're dead, but our relatives outside the deportation camp have a right to know we have died so they can claim our bodies and take care of us according to our respective beliefs. Even if you believe the 'illegal' doesn't have a right to Last Rites, not everyone believes so and if there are relatives willing to claim the body, they as legal citizens have the right to do so.

i don't understand, if you want to stay away from the possibility of being "noticed" then why are you on here baiting for some media or lawyer to see what you wrote? Its hard to tell who is lying these days....everyone lies all the time none stop even our own president and judges

road less traveled:

I don't understand, if you want to stay away from the possibility of being "noticed" then why are you on here baiting for some media or lawyer to see what you wrote?

There's a certain amount of anonymity on the internet, there are some things you can say behind that curtain of anonymity that you can't say anywhere else. That being said, yes, I have gotten messages from media asking for statement/story. I have declined all of them, and I give the same reasons I gave above. I don't have a facespace/whatever page, I stay away from social media, etc. I don't have a large internet footprint at all.

So as to why I post my story here...there's this whole mindset out there that 'illegal' automatically means 'illegal', that the moment ICE/DHS SAYS you're illegal, that means you have to be. That's like saying EVERY person the cops arrest HAS to be guilty because they were arrested.

I'm trying to raise pubic awareness that yes, you can be deemed 'illegal' without ever having done anything wrong at all. That 'illegal' is a sometimes arbitrary designation and can have little to do with whether you've committed rimes or came illegally.

I'm trying to outline the difference for everyone between 'illegal' and 'undocumented'. Undocumented isn't just a politically-correct term for 'illegal' people like me, not here illegally, committed no crimes, are undocumented, missing a piece of paper. I'm trying to point up the fact that someone who is missing a piece of paper shouldn't be treated the same as someone who hopped the border, shot a cop, and dealt drugs.

And that situations like mine, and this guy's, and the countless others like us, are the reason why the immigration system needs reform:

An official Immigration and Customs Enforcement database, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed a U.S. detainee population of exactly 32,000 on the evening of Jan. 25.

The data show that 18,690 immigrants had no criminal conviction, not even for illegal entry or low-level crimes like trespassing. Substantial numbers of detainees, from 177 countries in the data provided, are not illegal immigrants at all. Many of the longest-term non-criminal detainees are asylum seekers fighting to stay here because they fear being killed in their home country. Others are longtime residents who may be eligible to stay under other criteria, or whose applications for permanent residency were lost or mishandled, the lawyers say.

Now yes, I do know that Homeland security probably knows who I am, where I am, and are decidedly not happy with what I post. However, so long as I'm presenting in a peaceful, thoughtful, non-aggressive way, free speech is free speech. I've never been suspended for violations, have never had a post deleted by the moderators, never been banned. I know where that line is and I'm not going to cross it, and if they tell me shut it down or else, yes, I'll shut my account down.

LOL I love how after Amanda tells her story people automatically say "well if this is true why didnt you contact the police/lawyer/media"

If you just got out of detention after how many years would you march right up to a police station and say "id like to file a complaint"? No, you keep your head down and get as far away from "authority" type ppl as possible. Your first thought wouldnt be to hire a lawyer either. People shut down and isolate themselves over way less trauma than that.

Why is it that because you havent seen a story about it on the news it couldnt have happened? We as a society have too much apathy because we've been sheltered from the badness thats out there. I think its better to give someone the benefit of the doubt until we're told otherwise...unless there are just too many unbelievable holes in the story. In this case, I know what happens in regular jails/ holding cells so I can see it happening in a place where to the ppl in charge youre worthless lawbreakers and you shouldnt be in the country in the first place

I'm sure blame is what this guy's concerned about. How educated are you with regard to conditions in Zimbabwe?

USCIS , ICE, DHS mail is not forwarded - actually- many types of Government mail is not forwarded.

Yet another "I know all" but really know nothing type.

I worked for the post office... trust me, it could have happened. And he may have even notified the agency.

They said he had proof that he hadn't received it which could have meant that he had filed a change of address form - which by the way is required - that never was processed, or processed and the mail still sent to the old address.

Santos-Dumont - You need an attitude adjustment.

It sounds to me like you have had some experience with these folks and might know what you are talking about, otherwise why the venom? I'll bet my next LOTTO jackpot that this guy tried to stiff the system and got caught.

You also have to factor in that this is being reported by NBC.

Not all immigrants are welfare cases. There are some companies who have had to resort to recruiting in other countries because OUR people do not have the specialized knowledge due to poor math and science education in our schools resulting in not being able to fill jobs despite massive recruiting efforts here. Those people are guided through the immigration process and are on track to become US citizens - at least those whose jobs cannot be done from the foreign company. There are many foreign people who come here for college and then apply to change their immigration status because they want to stay. These people often go on to be doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. If they are undocumented, they cannot get welfare. So... where do you get that these are money sucking welfare cases?

Not every immigrant uses welfare.

And look at what we gain--Gene Simmons' mother was an immigrant, if she hadn't been alloed to come tot he US after liberation from the deportation camps in Germany at the end of WWII, Gene Simmons would never have been able to form a little band called KISS (don't know if you've ever heard of them) and make all that wonderful music...and the same for Tony Romo's parents (he's American with Mexican heritage) and Mark Sanchez and Knowshon Moreno and Marc Bulger. Nicole Kidman. Harrison Ford. Ricardo Montalban. Even Walt Disney and John Lennon. Nixon, Kennedy, Clinton, both Bush presidents, Obama, Roosevelt and Truman and Carter--they're all descendants of immigrants too. Look at the potential.

Look at the positive instead of the perceived negative. Every baby born has the potential to become a great leader--or has the potential to become a serial killer. Should we then not allow any more babies to be produced because they MIGHT become another Jeffrey Dahmer, Hannibal Lecter, Charlie Manson, Adolf Hitler? Might we not then prevent another Mother Theresa, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King from being born too?

Have you considered that maybe Mr. Abdul DID get his paperwork in order, but ICE screwed it up? Seems to me that being a political opponent of Mr. Mugabe (which is usually fatal in Zimbabwe) is incentive enough to keep it squared away. More than likely, his change of address form was not processed or his address was changed but the mail sent to the wrong old address, or perhaps it was mis-delivered by the USPS - which isn't all that unusual.

If he did get his paperwork in order he would have followed up after reporting his new address and making sure the ICE received the change of address notice. Sending something is okay, but it doesn't mean much if you are not sure if it is received and processed.

dumass.

Hands chopped off? Wrong country there genius. In Zimbabwe, the number one cause of death is being against Robert Mugabe's policies and stating it. If the government doesn't kill you outright, the beating by his thugs will - eventually. I know people who have families inside Zimbabwe and it's really bad there. Whites who opted to stay when Zimbabwe received it's freedom, and even those who fought FOR Zimbabwe have had their passports taken which means they are in limbo even now. They can't leave the country to immigrate anywhere, and they are forbidden to hold jobs. Their land has been taken away from them. They even disinterred - and disposed of - ashes of dead whites who fought for the country. And those are just the ones who haven't complained. Those that have are dead. Mr. Abdul at least was able to make it to freedom.

Beatings, murder, hands chopped off and more. So we agree this man would rather go through a few months of trouble here in this country rather than in his own horrific one. Go fck yourself puffman puke.

Again, go fck yourself puffman. Do it between hits off the pipe.

He realizes that he's lucky to be here - he just wants to stay here. He should be allowed to at least have his hearing instead of being deported.

If only the Native Americans had taken that attitude with your ancestors.

Exactly...if they had taken that attitude, they would still be in control of this country.

We are making the SAME MISTAKE they did by trying to accomodate illegals. Expect the same results.

Have you considered that he probably DID update his address? You think it's impossible for the Homeland Security to misfile paperwork and NOT update his record? If he goes back to Zimbabwe, he will be murdered by the government. Yes, it's that important.

Yes, our country accepted him...didn't you read the article?

Wow, what a cold thing to say. He was speaking against his government, which means he probably could have been killed for it. I don't know his personal situation, but that shouldn't even matter because he is here legally. I welcome anyone who wants to come to the US as long as they do it legally, and this man did that. Except he got punished for it. I feel sorry for him.

Joyce from Indiana said:

If he is so strong minded why didn't he stay in Zimbabwe and fight to change the goverenment there.

According to the article he was a political opponent of the guy who is currently president there. His situation would be if Romney ran against President Obama in the November election, and after President Obama won and Romney lost, President Obama would imprison and convict Romney for treason for disagreeing with his views.

He could either choose exile (and emigration to another country, like the US) or have body parts chopped off or be beheaded. If this was you and these were your choices, what would you do?

Stupid. In Zimbabwe, if you try to make change, you will be assassinated. You do NOT have the freedom of speech that you do here. If he is deported, he will die. He knows that. That is why I believe he DID file a change of address form when he moved, and did everything he was supposed to do to remain legal. How about we send YOU to Zimbabwe and let YOU tell us then how it is there. Of course, you will get a one way ticket because the first time you open your mouth to complain, you will be hacked to death, or shot - if you're lucky.

I think you need to go read the facts. You are wrong again as most Republicans always are. Can't you conservatives ever tell the truth? Is it a mental block or something?

FACT

Obama has deported more illegals in his 3 years then the Republicans did in 8 years with Bush. So if you want more illegals and want them to have things like free university (Perry) just keep voting Republican.