Decorated Disabled Veteran Faces Deportation

[chiver78]

this is absolutely appalling. I am hoping for a miracle for this man. "thanks for your service, and for sacrificing your body, now get the hell out!"

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Decorated Disabled Veteran Faces Deportation to Pakistan
Saturday 15 January 2011
by: K.T. Cox, t r u t h o u t

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a decorated disabled American veteran, is the victim of a witch hunt that has been ongoing since the 9/11 attacks. Chaudhry is being deported to Pakistan, where he will "inevitably be murdered by the Taliban for his service in the US Army," says Seth Manzel, executive director of G.I. Voice. Chaudhry came to the US legally over 13 years ago and has been married to a native-born citizen for nearly ten years. The suit Chaudhry and his wife filed against the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in US district court to press for his citizenship was dismissed on October 26, 2010, on summary judgement, without any trial or opportunity to further present their circumstances.

Chaudhry qualifies for citizenship on multiple bases, and there are no legal grounds to deny him citizenship. He qualified for and filed an application to become a US citizen under the military naturalization program in 2003. INS claimed they lost the application, so he applied again in 2004. The military naturalization program requires the US government to provide expedited processing for citizenship applications for individuals in the armed forces. Chaudhry's military awards include a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, an Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device and the Army Service Ribbon.

Chaudhry has never broken any US laws. In addition to his military service, he qualifies for citizenship based on his marriage to a US citizen. Before the injuries he sustained in service to our nation left him in a wheelchair, he was an avid community volunteer. He served thousands of hours as a general volunteer and youth coordinator for the American Red Cross, as an unpaid volunteer for the fire department - carrying a pager twenty-four-seven and responding to fire emergencies - and contributed his time to Habitat for Humanity and many other community and civic organizations.

The Chaudhry's have two children and four grandchildren; they do not wish for their family and friends to be ripped apart by an uncaring, inefficient federal bureaucracy acting within repressive measures.

Chaudhry was scheduled for a deportation hearing at the immigration court in Seattle on January 12, 2011, and, at the time of this writing, he had no legal representation. The couple reports that Sen. Patty Murray's (D-Washington) staff, Lindsay Herbst, often sends them an email saying to "hang in there" and that they are "working on it" - a behavior characteristic of many of our top politicians for the last seven to eight years. The Chaudry's have spent tens of thousands of dollars in this struggle for justice, not to mention other costs to the couple in lost opportunity. "Our physical, spiritual, mental and financial capabilities have been torn asunder and ground to nothingness by this great nation we both love and have served so much and continue to serve," says Ann Chaudhry.

You can see a short video clip of Chaudhry's speech at the Interfaith Forum on Immigration in Washington, DC at www.justice4chaudhry.info. The Chaudry's are calling for the community to support them by making phone calls and writing emails and letters to Murray's offices in DC and Seattle.

[deziloooooo]

Found the reason they were denying..seems there were misdemeanor violations that goes back 13 years before applied for citizenship, seems he declared them on application, what are the violations is not mentioned..misdemenor to me, a unqualified legal neophyte , is minor things that are usually swept away as long as not continuous showing a tendency to step over the line. Could be jay walking, failure to pay parking fines..who knows. Case of this magnitude and possible consequences, I would hope that higher authority's would get involved in the disposition of..rather then lower ranked civil servant Afraid for his job thus just following the written statute, covering his arse so to speak.
The consequences for a return to a state like Pakistan with the Al-Quida and the Taliban presence and to show a example, the consequences of a return to that country of this man could turn around and bite us in the arse
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Notwithstanding his honorable service and over two dozen letters of recommendation from members of the Yakima community attesting to his positive character, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“U.S.C.I.S.”), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, denied the application on August 19, 2009.

To qualify for naturalization, a military veteran must establish that he is attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and has been a person of good moral character for one year prior to the date of the application. The U.S.C.I.S. denial states that Mr. Chaudhry could not establish good moral character because when he received his residency in 2001, he failed to disclose thirteen year old misdemeanor convictions from when he was living in Australia.

Mr. Chaudhry disclosed the convictions in his naturalization application and explained the circumstances surrounding the offenses, for which he served no jail time and was never even arrested. The police officers at the time compared the offense to a parking ticket and assured him that the charges were not on his record.

His spouse Ann Chaudhry, a United States citizen, was shocked by U.S.C.I.S.’s denial. “The way they have treated my husband is unbelievable and outrageous,” she said. “The whole experience has been emotionally devastating for both of us.”

Over two dozen members of the Yakima community submitted sworn statements in support of Mr. Chaudhry’s case, including a former adjudicator for U.S.C.I.S., who stated that she “knew some of the particulars of Mr. Chaudhry’s case,” and “highly recommend that his application for U.S. citizenship be granted and processed to completion.”

“We believe that Mr. Chaudhry’s honorable military service record speaks for itself,” said Mr. Chaudhry’s attorney, Devin Theriot-Orr of the Seattle firm of Gibbs Houston Pauw. “Mr.

Chaudhry’s is a person of exemplary character who has already given so much to the country that he loves.”

[burnsattornincan]

I agree with some of the opinions of people commentating on news sites having posted the article. There is something missing to the story. One thing mentioned was that he did not ever actually serve, he was wounded in training. A back injury. Doesn't look so good right off the bat. Apparently he changed his story about the misdemeanors a few times and seems to have that famous selective memory loss on other questioning from INS. With the more than lenient atmosphere of the current administration this is definitely suspect.

[Tennesseer]

If the story is all true he should be given consideration.

But we are only hearing his side of the story. There is usually another side to the story in these types of cases.

[deziloooooo]

burns... Injuries in training , or at a military job are just as horrendouse as those in combat , whether in the states or a battle field. The day I left basic, a recruit, his insructor D.I were killed on the grenade range and a # were wounded, even though they were in the training holes used for that purpose.
Men lose their lives , break limbs , lose limbs all the time..with all the safety precautions , things happen..
I am guessing there might be something missing but what I don't like here was ,

"To qualify for naturalization, a military veteran must establish that he is attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and has been a person of good moral character for one year prior to the date of the application. The U.S.C.I.S. denial states that Mr. Chaudhry could not establish good moral character because when he received his residency in 2001, he failed to disclose thirteen year old misdemeanor convictions from when he was living in Australia.

Mr. Chaudhry disclosed the convictions in his naturalization application and explained the circumstances surrounding the offenses, for which he served no jail time and was never even arrested. The police officers at the time compared the offense to a parking ticket and assured him that the charges were not on his record.
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Some minor citation, 13 years earlier on Australia, if true something along the lines of what, running a red light, wouldn't be speeding, DWI, some one injured, that is seriouse there, and if minor , are there still records available and possible the expence of getting them searched out by the government, some burocratic what ever doesn't want that on his sheet, lets just push the deportation and once in process, they ar fighting it, the burocratic high ups het pissed, this little nothing pushing us, embarressing my department, push it, bleed their money, deport him. It happens just like that.

It says they have spent their $ fighting the deportation against the government, all that $, all that clout, , how much do they have left, and he is in a wheel chair.
Car accident whole off duty, was he driving a deuce and a half [don't think they have em anymore, dating myself} on duty , some other service related accident possibly, doesn't say. To be sent back as a cripple to Pakistan..plus the possible threat to his life from the bad guys to make a point, serve in the US military..heres what we feel about that., plus splitting up his family.

I am glad Chiver put it up, tomorrow is sunday a few letters iout to my repreentatives, not their area of course but still, a quick look into it by a aid..wouldn't hurt, stamps are what now, .40 or what ever.
Do I believe he could be caught in a burocratic back lash here by my government, no not the Obama's, the ones who run these agencies. You betcha.
Could there be more to it? That too.