The immigrant rights movement has now won two important victories for the rights of asylum seekers. On September 22, 2020, Wisam Hamana won his right to stay in the United States in the Immigration Court; the movement has forced the immigration court to concede to our demand: No more death deportations. In June 2018, Wisam Hamana, an Iraqi Chaldean Christian, was told by ICE to report to the Metro-Detroit airport to be deported. BAMN mobilized a network of metro-Detroit activists for a series of protests at the airport to stop the deportation of Wisam and other Iraqi refugees. Wisam refused to show up at his death deportation flight. While we continued to mobilize, BAMN also represented Wisam in the Immigration Court and now we have won his asylum case. When all hope seemed to be lost in stopping Wisam’s deportation in court, it has once again been proven that as the movement keeps fighting independently and with mass mobilizations, we can win! Wisam’s victory was only possible because BAMN and the immigrant rights movement organized militant direct actions independently from politicians from both parties. This victory for Iraqi refugees must be the model for how we need to fight nationally to stop Trump’s attempt to take dictatorial power and to get him out.

Our fight is far from being finished – Wisam Hamana and other detainees must be freed from detention now. The movement must mobilize now to stop ICE from appealing the decision and keeping Wisam in detention. There is no reason for Wisam to stay in detention, which is a hot spot for the spread of COVID-19. All detainees should be free from detention to stop the spread of the pandemic. All concentration camps need to be shut down now. The airports need to be shut down to stop ICE’s “deportation reopening,” and to restrict domestic and international travel as a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Calhoun County Facility in Battle Creek is the detention center where Wisam and other detainees have been organizing to stop their deportations and fighting to get out of detention. With the national outrage about the mass spread of COVID-19 in concentration camps, BAMN and the detainees in Calhoun have been fighting to free all detainees since the initial outbreak in March. In early April, we had the initial success of securing the release of several Calhoun detainees by winning a Federal District Court order to stop the spread of COVID-19 in detention. ICE is now attempting to “reopen deportation.” ICE is contacting the Washington DC Iraqi Embassy to get what is called a laissez passe to deport Iraqi refugees, including detainees and those who have been released from detention. This laissez passe is a one-way travel document that expires in 48 hours upon landing in Iraq; the deportee will have no ID after that and cannot survive their deportation. We must mobilize now to stop ICE deportations and continue to secure the release of all detainees who are applying for bail under the Federal Court order.

Oliver Awshana, another Iraqi Chaldean refugee detained at Calhoun County, who like Wisam, also won his asylum case, must be freed now. Oliver Awshana was lied to by ICE in April 2018 – ICE told him they would release him on supervision, an immigration parole. Instead, ICE brought Oliver to the airport and attempted to deport him by force. Oliver fought for his life and refused to go on the plane. The ICE agents brutalized Oliver. When the pilot saw what happened, he refused to fly the plane, and Oliver was returned to detention. BAMN represented Oliver in immigration court and got his case reopened. With the detainees organizing and BAMN’s public campaign, we won Oliver’s asylum case in February 2020. Oliver is a model for how to fight and win. Oliver is currently applying for bail at the Federal Court. He must be freed now.

Join BAMN. As the Democratic Party is failing to stop Trump’s attempt to take dictatorial power, now is the opportunity for the immigrant rights and civil rights movement to come forward to assert our leadership. The will of the mass movement is clear. We want Trump out. We must not let anyone stand in our way to accomplish that.

Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)     www.bamn.com     (855) 272-2226

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