2 Lodi residents refused entry back into U.S.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/26/LODI.TMP ^

[tobyprissy]

2 Lodi residents refused entry back into U.S.

Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Jaber Ismail, 18, (right) is seen with his younger brothe...

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(08-26) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- The federal government has barred two relatives of a Lodi man convicted of supporting terrorists from returning to the country after a lengthy stay in Pakistan, placing the U.S. citizens in an extraordinary legal limbo.

Muhammad Ismail, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen born in Pakistan, and his 18-year-old son, Jaber Ismail, who was born in the United States, have not been charged with a crime. However, they are the uncle and cousin of Hamid Hayat, a 23-year-old Lodi cherry packer who was convicted in April of supporting terrorists by attending a Pakistani training camp.

[Luigi Vasellini]

About time we started doing this!

[BobL]

We dealt with this last night.

The bottom line is that they can fly to Canada and attempt (legal) entry from there. At worst, they will be detained by border patrol until answering the necessary questions. If they don't like answering questions prior to re-entry, they lose the right to re-entry, just like you or me or anyone else.

A country has the RIGHT to control what crosses the border, be it humans, Muslims, products, or electronic transmissions. That simply is the definition of a COUNTRY.

I don't care if they are citizens or not.

[mdittmar]

That's a shame.

dog,fleas,you know.

[Flash Bazbeaux]

"About time we started doing this!"

You might feel differently if they were doing this to you.

Then again, REAL Americans would never leave the United States, would they?

[1rudeboy]

What, pissing on our own citizens? How about giving them a revocation/deportation hearing first?

[Steely Tom]

You might feel differently if they were doing this to you.

Why would "they" do this to me?

[Luigi Vasellini]

I know, the terrorists relatives took a "vacation" in Pakistan.

[speekinout]

Then again, REAL Americans would never leave the United States, would they?

To spend 4 years in a Pakistani terrorist training camp? I doubt it.
They may have had legal American papers, but I'd call them "infiltrators" and not Americans.

[Luigi Vasellini]

I think muslims rights are lesser than us filthy infidels. In America they are the dhimmis and should be made aware of it! They started this war and we should end it.

[1rudeboy]

I'll go ahead and post the most consice and correct answer from the previous 200+ reply thread:

I don't know how they can keep the 18 year old citizen from reentering without opening themselves up to a massive law suit.

As for the Resident Alien adult, he's toast and we can refuse his entry and strip his residency with ease.

[1rudeboy]

Of course, I meant "concise."

[Dov in Houston]

Hayat later said that Ismail and another relative "didn't talk to me about going to camps or anything. But you know I'm sure they went to the camp ... 'cause they memorize the Holy Quran.

[Flash Bazbeaux]

"I don't care if they are citizens or not."


Maybe you think YOU will get better treatment than these guys, huh? Think again. If the US Government can do this to one native-born citizen [the son] they can do it to you.

Once about 20 years ago, when I was coming back across the Tijuana border crossing with a bunch of Koreans - some naturilized, some green-card holders, after helping them build a Korean Presbyterian Church south of TJ, I was sitting in the back of the van when the call went out for everyone to hand their US Passports or green cards forward to the driver.

When we got to the crossing the driver handed all the documents to the border patrol officer.

It was dark, and the border patrol officer asked me from the front of the van why I had only a driver's licence, and not a passport. Well, this was about my tenth time crossing there. I had NEVER been told that my driver's license was inadequate before, and there was no law requiring me to have one. I was obviously native born.

I flippantly remarked that my driver's license was good enough because I was white. Flippant, but true. The only reason I was being questioned was because I was with a bunch of Koreans.

That was then. The rules have changed. Being a native born white boy is not going to give me a free pass any more. I am not too concerned about the government playing hardball with illegal aliens or vistors, or even green card citizens. But when the government starts barring citizens because they refused to submit to FBI questioning overseas, I am ready to draw the line.


Last time I looked, this site was called "Free Republic", not "Sheep Republic", and not "Slave Republic."

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Because they can. If you let them. That's the way the real world works.

[BobL]

"I don't know how they can keep the 18 year old citizen from reentering without opening themselves up to a massive law suit."

Since I don't know anyone who refuses to answer questions when returning from overseas, I'm not sure what right they have to re-enter (in this case).

But I do know that if they will answer the questions, they will be allowed back in. They may thrown in jail based on their answers, but they will be allowed back here.

If the case was some pervert coming back from Thailand instead of a Muzzie (hard to which is contrary to human existence, by the way), they would get the treatment.

In other words, no one is preventing re-entry, but they are preventing unconditonal re-entry - just as they would with me if I came back from Toronto.

[Flash Bazbeaux]

"As for the Resident Alien adult, he's toast and we can refuse his entry and strip his residency with ease."

I did not see a resident alien. I saw a naturalized citizen. There are ways to revoke citizenship of a naturalized citizen, but not as easy as yanking permanent residence privilege.

[1rudeboy]

Like I said, it was from the previous thread.

[BobL]

"But when the government starts barring citizens because they refused to submit to FBI questioning overseas"

You miss the point. Regardless of how this article reads, these people can fly to Canada and attempt re-entry there. What our government didn't want to do is get stuck with these guys on US soil and have to pay $2,000 to send them back to Hong Kong. They will get in, if they decide they want to.

I have no fear for myself or you getting home. As to the passport - that was a bit rude, but we might as well get used to carrying passports whenever leaving the country - and you can blame these guys and their buddies for it.

[observer5]

"supporting terrorists by attending a Pakistani training camp"

Wouldn't that be more BEING a terrorist?