Mother Talkers

I hate our government!

by Lisa in Austin

Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 11:36:40 AM PDT

I have shared with you all before the plight of the Kambo family -- Sam and Hanaan, immigrants from Sierra Leone, who, after living in the US for 14 years were told that Sam was dangerous and could not be allowed admission to this country. They followed the rules and did everything that we ask immigrants to do, including Sam earning two degrees from the University of Texas. They are neighbors of mine, with twin daughters in the same grade and school as my twins. Sam has been in jail, detained by immigration and homeland security, since last October.

Despite a ruling in June by the immigration judge that Sam did not participate in the execution of 30 people in Sierra Leone -- and that Sam should be allowed to stay in the U.S., he remains in jail to this day.

There was a hearing today [his lawyer filed a writ of habeas corpus] and the government argued that the judge had no jurisdiction to hear this case.

Here's the story on the local paper's website:

http://www.statesman.com/...

I am so fed up, disgusted and ashamed of our government. In a recent interview, Hanaan put it well -- she said that the US goes around the world telling other people how to run their governments and then we do this to people in our own country.

We have written Senators, Congressmen, contacted all the news media we know of [there has been some local coverage of this] and I am out of ideas. I just needed to rant about this and say please think of and/or pray for the Kambo family. This is not what our country is about, and I hope we won't stand for it.

Tags: family, homeland security, immigration, government (all tags)

Permalink | 9 comments

  • Sorry (0 / 0)

    the link doesn't work. Maybe because it's a subscription only site?

    Basically what the story says is that the district judge says he is very confused by why the government will not let Sam out. He wants briefs on whether or not he has jurisdiction.

    The immigration judge had ruled for Sam to be released on bail several times and the government appealed so Sam was not released [this was before his immigration hearing took place]. Every time someone rules that Sam should be released, the government opposes it and then it never happens. The power these agencies have is amazing.

    sorry I could not make the link work.

    by Lisa in Austin on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 11:33:46 AM PDT

  • Rant on (0 / 0)

    I cannot believe our government is going after innocent people like this. It's evidence of the rampant xenophobia of the Bush administration and those who support it. These activities aren't really about stamping out terrorism -- they're an opportunity to get rid of anybody dangerously "different."

    I often wonder if my mom's family would have been deported before they became U.S. citizens some 40 years ago. They were Greek, but they hailed from the Middle East. They had lived in Palestine before it became Israel, and later moved all around the Arab region, from Syria to Egypt to Libya, as my grandfather pursued work. That totally would have been a red flag to the Bush regime, and my mom and my grandparents could well have been deported and tortured like so many others.

    by trueblue illinois on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 02:16:19 PM PDT

  • I hear you! (0 / 0)

    I had to laugh, a sad chuckle, when you wrote:

    his lawyer filed a writ of habeas corpus

    because the Senate today  failed on habeus corpus. Ugh.

    Good luck to you and your friend. I wish there was something we could do to help.

    by GiGi on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 02:16:55 PM PDT

    • What is really sad (0 / 0)

      is that most Americans are probably not even aware that their rights are being taken away. I truly believe if they would do this to Sam, they would do it to me, too.

      by Lisa in Austin on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 02:32:34 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • Yes (0 / 0)

        It really reminds me of the following:

        "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
        because I was not a Socialist.
        Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
        because I was not a Trade Unionist.
        Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
        because I was not a Jew.
        Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."

        And now, Bush wants to make the domestic eavesdropping permanent. Will it ever end?

        by GiGi on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 03:09:59 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    • what an effing disgrace (0 / 0)

      Basically, it's the US government saying "you wouldn't be detained unless you were guilty, and if you're guilty, you don't deserve human rights."

      Lieberman, that Republican strumpet, voted against the amendment. To paraphrase that old political saw, I wouldn't wee down his throat if his heart was on fire.

      by Rachel on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 03:49:24 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • Horrifying (0 / 0)

    There was an article about a similar situation in our Sunday paper a few weeks ago.  Our country has definitely taken a dark turn.  Sometimes I miss the 90's.  We have gone way overboard with homeland security and they are wasting our time with innocent people like this.  

    Kind of OT...we now need a fricken passport to go to Canada if we want to get back in.  Fricken Canada.  It should not take my aunt 3 effing hours at the border with her stash of British Cadburys to come and visit me.  Just ridiculous.  

    I'm so sorry to hear that your friends are still going through this.  Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones.  It's happening everywhere.

    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

    by 1plain1peanut on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 05:08:29 PM PDT

  • Hey Lisa (0 / 0)

    http://www.helpsamkambo.com/

    This came up on another Austin list.  I thought the link might help here.  I guess the LCRA is selling bumper stickers in support as well.  

    "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight. Gotta kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight"

    by lonestar canuck on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 06:46:29 PM PDT

    • Thanks for noticing! (0 / 0)

      I didn't link to this before because it had not been updated since May -- but I noticed over the weekend that it was updated.

      My DH and I are trying to get bumper stickers right now -- I actually think they ran out at one point.

      I saw Hanaan today and just gave her a big hug. She is such a strong woman -- I am guessing in large part because of what she witnessed in her home country. I have written Oprah, Nightline, NPR's Morning Edition [the local public radio station did a spot on Sam last week] and I keep hoping that someone will fix this!

      by Lisa in Austin on Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 07:22:03 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

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