Mr. Hamdan is a respected community leader in Orange County, California. He has never been charged with a crime, and ICE knows perfectly well he is not a
security threat. Mr. Hamdan’s health is deteriorating in jail–he has blood
pressure problems and has been taken to the hospital three times for serious
medical emergencies during his seven months in detention. His family wants him back home NOW.
Action Alert
February 28, 2005
Take Action Against Illegal Detention!
Tell Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):
Free Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan NOW!
The Supreme Court has ruled that immigration detention is constitutional only
when it serves the purpose of carrying out a deportation. The use of
immigration detention as punishment–for ethnicity, religion, political views
or other reasons–is illegal and unconstitutional.
Mr. Hamdan is a respected community leader in Orange County, California. He has never been charged with a crime, and ICE knows perfectly well he is not a
security threat. Mr. Hamdan’s health is deteriorating in jail–he has blood
pressure problems and has been taken to the hospital three times for serious
medical emergencies during his seven months in detention. His family wants him back home NOW.
Ask ICE: why are you keeping Mr. Hamdan in jail?
Call, fax or email:
Victor Cerda, head of ICE Detention and Removal Office in Washington, 425 I
Street NW, Washington, DC 20536; phone 202-514-8663; fax 202-353-9435; email
c/o ICE Chief of Staff Shelly Han
Gloria Kee, field operations director of ICE Detention and Removal Office in
Los Angeles, 300 North Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012;
phone 213-830-7913 or 213-830-7970; fax 213-830-7973;
Send copies of all messages to Mr. Hamdan’s support committee at
Sign an online petition to demand Mr. Hamdan’s release at
http://www.petitiononline.com/Hamdan/petition.html
Mr. Hamdan was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. He has been living in the US for 25 years and has six US-born children. He had a valid work permit and a green card application in process when he was detained on an alleged immigration violation on July 27, 2004. He has been denied release on bond; the US government claims he is a “national security threat” because he worked as a fundraiser for the Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity, before it was shut down in late 2001. Like thousands of Americans, Mr. Hamdan believed the
foundation was a legitimate charity.
Five of the foundation’s executives were indicted on criminal charges, yet they
were freed on their own recognizance within weeks, while Mr. Hamdan–who faces no charges–remains detained. The FBI wanted Mr. Hamdan to provide information against the others–but he would have had to lie, so he declined. He had already told US government investigators everything he knew.
An immigration judge ruled that Mr. Hamdan cannot be deported to Jordan because he would face torture there. The immigration judge also said Mr. Hamdan was not a flight risk because he has substantial family and community ties in Southern California. Yet he remains detained. Now ICE is refusing to allow reporters to interview Mr. Hamdan in the San Pedro detention center. Why?
For more information about the campaign to free Mr. Hamdan, contact:
Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee
ADC LA/OC Chapter
(714) 535-1719
