Posted on 07/15/2005 12:27:07 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Civil rights attorneys have filed a 17-page petition in federal court seeking the release of a Palestinian accused of having ties to terrorism who has been held for a year on immigration charges.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the petition Thursday in U.S. District Court on behalf of Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, who was arrested on immigration charges in July 2004.
His arrest came as federal authorities unsealed an indictment against the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, where Hamdan worked as a fundraiser. The indictment charged the charity with funneling millions to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Hamdan, an engineering graduate of USC and president of the Anaheim mosque West Coast Islamic Society, has acknowledged traveling around the country as a Holy Land fundraiser before it was shut down in 2001. He insists, however, that he was not aware the group aided Hamas.
The petition, written by ACLU lawyer Ranjana Natarajan, says "there is not one shred of evidence in support of the government's argument that Hamdan poses a danger to national security." It calls his continued detention arbitrary, unlawful and capricious.
Natarajan also said Hamdan was not involved in the distribution of funds he collected for the charity and that U.S. officials "never even attempted to prove Hamdan raised funds with the intent to further terrorist activity."
Lori Haley, spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Laguna Niguel, said an immigration court ruled that Hamdan "should have known that his activities constituted material support for a terrorist organization."
"We're going to use every tool at our disposal to safeguard our country and prevent individuals from obtaining funds here to advance the aim of terrorist organizations," Haley said.
When Hamdan was arrested, immigration authorities alleged he had been living in the United States illegally on a student visa issued more than 25 years ago. In May, a judge ordered him deported, but also said that he could not be deported to Jordan, where he was born in a Palestinian refugee camp, because he might be persecuted or tortured there.
The judge did not grant Hamdan's request that he be freed on bail while appealing the order, so he remains in detention.
Hamdan's wife, Entesar, said she would accompany her husband if he was deported but would let her six U.S.-born children decide whether to go or stay.
"I am a foreigner, but these are American-born kids. They can hardly speak Arabic. How are they going to fit in an Arab country? We are an American family who happens to be Muslim," said Entesar Hamdan, principal at a private Islamic school.
Speed up the process and DEPORT muslims with any terrorist ties.
How about we deport the ACLU while we are at it?
Perhaps this is something a person should consider before they become involved in a war against the USA.
I have no sympathy for people who can't understand that along with freedom comes responsibility.
Okay. Let's detain him for 25 years and we'll call it even on that count. We'll deal with the terrorist stuff after he's done his 25 years.
no i strongly disagree with you. I think your approach is wrong and will just provide or enemenies more recruits in the country they are deported to. i say EXECUTE them.
Disappear him (shoot, shovel, shut up).
Yeh, let's release the ACLU and the terrorists on, oh, the Maldives or perhaps ... (where was Napoleon)?
Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005
Information here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1413875/posts
There you will find information about the bill, links to contact your congressmen and state representatives, and links to Stop the ACLU, among others.
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