Immigrant’s Choice—Prison or Deportation
Lance Williams, San Francisco Chronicle Staff, July 27, 2008
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According to immigration experts, Rahimi’s [Obaidullah “Chito” Rahimi, convicted Afghani sex criminal] dilemma is an extreme example of the choice confronting more than 90,000 immigrants who face removal from the United States each year because they have been implicated in crimes.
Experts say a combination of tougher laws and improved technology for computer background checks has led to a surge in deportation orders for immigrants who commit crimes in the United States—even misdemeanors, as in Rahimi’s case.
Once detained, many immigrants simply agree to be sent home to avoid jail, the experts say. Others who contest deportation have their cases heard relatively quickly or are freed on bail while cases are pending. But sometimes when an immigrant appeals a deportation order, he can spend years in jail while the case is litigated.
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Conflicting claims
In court, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys have portrayed Rahimi’s case as open and shut. In the 1990s, Congress toughened immigration laws, adding many crimes to the list of deportable offenses. Because he was convicted of having sex with a minor, Rahimi has no right to remain in the United States, the government says—and no right to post bail while he appeals.
Government lawyers in Rahimi’s case also have disputed his claim that he faces danger in Afghanistan, instead portraying the country as relatively peaceful and stable since U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban government seven years ago.
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Nor does Rahimi’s plight elicit any sympathy from the mother of the former girlfriend.
Informed of the case by The Chronicle, the woman, who asked not to be quoted by name, said Rahimi was now “getting what he deserved.” She said she believed he had gotten off too easily when arrested in 1997.
“If it was your daughter, you’d feel the same,” she said.
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(Posted on July 30, 2008)
Comments
The guy raped a child in 1997. Why in blue blazes is he still in the US 11 years later?
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 10:42 PM on July 30
This is all wrong. The criminal must serve his time in prison and then be deported. If his life is in danger in the old country, tough luck. You should have thought about that before you commit the crime.
Posted by flyingtiger at 1:24 AM on July 31
But sometimes when an immigrant appeals a deportation order, he can spend years in jail while the case is litigated.
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Perhaps this would stop a lot of these people coming here. And our legal system lets the illegals out on OR and says when you come back to court we will deport you then, GUESS WHAT!!! they never show up, why should they, there are no penalties for their failure to appear as there are for U.S. CITIZENS. We should have the same immigration violation laws that the Kuwaitis and Saudis have (as much as I hate Muslims, they have that part right) illegals in those countries FEAR!!!! the legal system. A year or so ago in Kuwait the “Bloods and Crips” in Kuwait found out that the Kuwaiti police and legal system do not pander to gangbangers either, a number of them were still in jail when I left some months later still crying to the church and MSM about their civil rights being violated. They didn’t get it that they were NOT IN CALIFORNIA ANYMORE Jose.
Posted by Skip at 2:07 AM on July 31
1. “even misdemeanors, as in Rahimi’s case” = “he was convicted of having sex with a minor” (you see? what a skill in manipulating the English language!!! RAPE is shifted into HAVING SEX then HAVING SEX WITH A MINOR is shifted into MISDEMEANOR?!
2.”90,000 immigrants who face removal from the United States each year because they have been implicated in crimes.” All the illegals are criminals, since they have stepped ILLEGALLY across the USA border, period.
Posted by alex at 2:47 PM on July 31
flyingtiger wrote: The criminal must serve his time in prison and then be deported. If his life is in danger in the old country, tough luck.
Thumbs up to the 2nd sentence above, thumbs down to the 1st. Why should we taxpayers support these parasites at all? IMHO any immigrant (legal or illegal) convicted of a felony should immediately be declared persona non grata and deported. Obvious exception: an immigrant sentenced to death for a capital crime should be executed, and his home nation’s government billed for the expense of both his execution and his time in prison awaiting same.
Posted by Strider at 12:08 AM on August 1