Detroit Federal District Judge Mark Goldsmith will decide as soon as this evening whether to issue a Temporary Restraining Order and stop the deportation of 114 Iraqi-Americans.
They’ve been arrested and detained by US ICE over the last two weeks. About a thousand of their family and friends gathered in a peaceful demonstration in front of Federal Court in Downtown Detroit to ask the Judge for a favorable ruling.
U. S. Attorney Jennifer Newby told the judge during a one hour hearing that he does not have jurisdiction. It is up to Immigration Courts to decide these issues.
And she told the judge that deportation orders had been written on many of the 114 as long as 4 years ago.
The feds have said these people are being deported because they have been convicted from crimes.
Some are Muslim but most are Chaldean or Christians, which is why their families fear their safety if deported. Many came here years ago as children.
The ACLU Attorney for the detainees, Margo Schlanger told the judge that if deported, the 114 face torture, persecution or even death and Federal Law prohibits that.
Judge Goldsmith asked how long it would take for each person to get an attorney and file papers for a hearing with Immigration Court and he was told up to 2 months.
So if he approves he has jurisdiction and issues the TRO, it could be for only that short amount of time.
