Dear Family, Friends and Community,
In the beginning of November, 2019, USCIS denied Zahid’s 2013 Earned, Qualified, Expedited Military N-400 application despite the fact that he passed the English and government/Civics portion with flying colors. Under CARRP, applicants are subjected to harsh vetting (including extremely lengthy ‘interviews’ which more resemble ‘interrogations’); now, there are “successor extreme vetting” programs to CARRP. See CARRP info
As many followers have read on this website, we won in immigration court in March of 2018. The immigration judge (IJ) re-affirmed Zahid’s permanent residence status and allowed some waivers. However, ICE attorneys appealed the IJ’s ruling at the 11th hour on the 30th day after the decision. Their appeal put that case into the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). There would be no more ‘hearings’ or court dates; just the parties passing papers/arguments back and forth. Many attorneys in the know expected quite a number of years to pass before BIA would be able to make any decision on the appeal. Surprisingly, at the end of February, 2020, BIA handed down its decision from a 3-woman panel: they reversed the IJ’s ruling and in 30 days, Zahid is to be “removed” to Pakistan.
One final avenue is left: ‘appealing’ or petitioning the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. There must be a filing called “Notice of Intent to Petition” filed with the 9th Circuit before March 26, 2020. Along with that, there must be a Motion to Stay Removal filed to prevent ICE from hastily, surreptitiously detaining and deporting Zahid before the 30 days end period.
Our partners in justice should not forget that not too long ago, not one, but two Seattle ICE attorneys had charges brought against them and were removed from their employment. The Deputy Chief ICE attorney had forged signatures on immigration documents causing immigrant/s to be deported from the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) form was not created until years after the immigrant had allegedly signed it, because the DHS itself had not been created yet. The former Deputy Chief ICE attorney allegedly has been told he cannot practice law for 10 years. The other, the Chief ICE attorney had used the identities of immigrants he had caused to be put into deportation (and/or were already deported) to fraudulently open credit card accounts in those immigrants’ names, listed some as dependents on his personal tax return/s, had his own home utilities put in their names. His sentence was just 4 years in jail. Mark Nerheim, an attorney and member of the Washington Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said: “Whitewash, they alluded during their [court] presentation there was potential evidence of many other crimes, potentially.” What shining examples of “good moral character” these two high-level ICE attorneys are to aspiring Americans ! Seattle ICE attorneys charged
October 3, 2019
Many THANK YOUs to:
Warrior Wendy – co-ordinator of today’s (10/3/19) events, flyers, etc;
Ready Rick – driver of bus and the use of the bus to get folks to Tukwila and back;
Determined Dusty – driver for Zahid & Ann and Dusty’s trusty car (Ann is thankful not to be the driver);
and to all our Super Supporters and rally-ers, & sign holders, who traveled to Tukwila;
and to all our Other Supporters around the state and the world !
Naturalization Interview Results
“On 10/3/2019, you were interviewed by USCIS officer Holbrook.
You passed the tests of English and U.S. History and government.
A decision cannot yet be made about your application. ”
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After 3 hours of interrogation and extreme vetting Zahid was put through, the above was the result. Three intense hours the rest of us waited; waiting and watching others arrive for interviews, completing their obviously brief interviews and after another short wait, receiving a piece of paper to bring back for a (SAME DAY) 1:30 pm citizenship ceremony; three hours with no communication with Zahid (Ann, spouse and Personal Care Attendant, was informed she would not be allowed to accompany Zahid).
By law, USCIS must make a decision (on the application) within 120 days.
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Keep Zahid Home!
Zahid Chaudhry Citizenship Interview based on Qualified Military Service
Thursday, October 3, 2019 @ 9 am
12500 Tukwila International Blvd., Tukwila (Seattle), WA 98168
Carpool for Rally ! Thursday, October 3, 2019
Gather at 7am/last vehicle departs at 7:20 sharp RSVP by text: 360-529-1109
Martin Way Park and Ride (meet at the back of lot)
4701 Martin Way East, Lacey
Imagine if you (yes, imagine you personally) have worked so hard to earn wages and your wages have been denied because of the “color of your skin” or “your religion” or “country of your birth”.
Imagine how would you feel if your earned fruits of your labor, commitments, etc. (wages, benefits, etc.) are delayed for 20 years?
Now imagine, the other party also breaks their part of the contract (treaty, promise, laws) and undermines the Constitution and forces you to attend dozens of court hearings, interrogations, investigations, subjecting you to extreme vetting secret policies; putting your name on “No Fly list”, and also the secret terrorist watch list (and shares these lists with private firms and other actors all over the globe); the lists from which there is no meaningful way to remove yourself. Being on this list also excludes you from other earned benefits and rights.
Research by http://www.theintercept.com “revealed a staggeringly due-process-free system in which the government was routinely affixing the word “terrorist” to an individual’s name and disseminating that information to a sprawling network of foreign and private partners, with virtually no evidence required to support the claim.” A federal judge has recently ruled this practice unconstitutional: https://theintercept.com/2019/09/06/terrorism-watchlist-lawsuit-ruling/ See: Terrorism Watchlist ruling
How would you feel if you and your family are denied all Constitutional due processes ?
What would you do if the other party never told you that they are putting you on any such lists to begin with?
And then they will never “confirm” or “deny” that you are on any such lists, even after so many FOIA requests and following all their cumbersome procedures to redress the grievances.
What if all of these torments, threats, persecutions, cruel & unusual punishments robbed you, your family & your community of 20 years of your lives ?
How would you feel if it cost you millions upon millions of dollars and you had to expend thousands & thousands of hours over many, many years to deal with?
This is exactly the tip of the iceberg, that Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, his family & all the community has been subjected to !
Many of you know Zahid Chaudhry and of his long fight for immigration justice. This upcoming Citizenship Interview is based on his Qualified Military Service. Zahid qualified for expedited naturalization because of his active-duty service from 2001 – 2005 (to 2006, for National Guard service). George W. Bush issued the original Executive Order, which remains in effect to this day. Zahid witnessed non-citizen active-duty service-members receiving naturalization right on the spot after completing Basic Training.
A national security program called CARRP systematically results in the delay and denial of applications from people from Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian countries. Is it because of CARRP that he has been denied this benefit and instead has been subject to endless court appearances and threats? https://www.aclusocal.org/en/CARRP
Although we will not be allowed in the building, we can be holding signs outside. Bring ID.
See more on UPDATES and NEWS tabs.
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WE won !
A community that stands united wins! (against hate, paranoia, xenophobia, bigotry, islamophobia)
ICE CAUSED suffering for the community for 17 years and wasted millions upon millions of taxpayers’ dollars in this witchhunt !
ICE lost their many years’ long case in Immigration court in March 2018 and caused waste, fraud & abuse of taxpayers’ funds.
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Government’s Chief ICE attorney charged with stealing immigrants’ identities; privately profitting from causing suffering & tearing apart families
and communities !
News reports reveal that among other examples, this is yet another Seattle ICE attorney charged in last few years, shows a Toxic Culture at Seattle ICE Offices, of personal Bias, Prejudice, Bigotry, Hatred & Malicious Acts !
Several nation-wide news agencies reported February 14th, 2018 about Government Chief ICE attorney in Seattle, Rafael A. Sanchez, charged with stealing immigrants’ identities. Check out Democracy Now, BuzzFeed, SeattlePI, Seattle Weekly, CNN, CNBC, AP and Washington Post among others – some links below.
As many of you may have read and heard, Government’s Chief ICE Attorney in Seattle was charged with stealing immigrants’ identities while making a killing (in more ways than one) from peoples’ suffering. This attorney earns 6 figure salary ($160,000) yet the identities of at least 7 immigrants were used by Government’s Chief Enforcer to fraud around 9 banks for about $250,000, put his own home utilities in those immigrants’ names, even listed 3 (of the 7 immigrants) as Dependants on his personal Federal income tax return to lower his Federal Income taxes. How would those immigrants even know their IDs had been stolen and used (by the ICE Agents) after they were deported?
And as many of you also know, had this been perpetrated by “Susie or Stevie Citizen,” the prosecution and charging would have been astronomical. However, Government’s Chief ICE attorney’s court charging document is called an “information”, meaning a plea bargain (no grand jury inquiry, and maybe a slap on the wrist).
Sanchez is the second lawyer in ICE’s Seattle office to run into legal trouble in recent years. Former Deputy Chief Attorney Jonathan Love pleaded guilty in 2016 to charges that he forged documents & forms (in the name of the immigrant) AND lied to court again & again to deprive an immigrant of the legal permanent resident status to which the immigrant was statutorily qualified !
Jonathan Love carried out the same shenanigans, & misled court in Zahid’s persecution: An applicant, statutorily eligible, is put in deportation proceedings because of a “check” mark, (on an un-paid, volunteer police position application – therefore: NO material BENEFIT); which forensics examiner said Zahid was not the maker of the mark. Deputy Chief attorney, Jonathan Love took Extra-Ordinary & Highly Unusual interest & witch hunt against Zahid for years. Chaudhrys’ attorney was shocked to see Jonathan Love at Zahid’s hearings and taking such intense, Unusual & personal interest in Zahid.
In January 2016, Deputy Chief Attorney, Jonathan Love was sentenced for forging legal (immigration) documents, and lying to court again & again to deliberatly deport an immigrant who was statutorily eligible and qualified. Jonathan Love pled guilty on a plea agreement (once again: “information”) with federal prosecutors. Mr. Love, who resigned in January 2016, received 30 day jail sentence, and was barred from practicing law for (only) 10 years. Scroll down for links to Jonathan Love news reports.
Given the convictions, actions & admittance of Mr. Love (the very same one who personally persecuted Zahid), the public should easily see Mr. Love’s (Government’s Deputy Chief ICE attorney)’s bias, prejudice, illegal acts, lies, forgeries, bigotry and hatred !
2018 News links:
Seattle Weekly: http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/immigrant-rights-community-responds-to-allegations-against-seattle-ice-attorney/
SeattlePI: https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/ICE-Seattle-Immigration-Corruption-12617163.php
Seattle Times contains references to Seattle ICE attorney, Jonathan Love.
2016 Jonathan Love news & lawsuit links:
NW Immigrants Rights Project: https://www.nwirp.org/former-ice-attorney-pleads-guilty-in-case-triggered-by-nwirp-lawsuit/
NW Immigrants Rights Project: https://www.nwirp.org/nwirp-files-lawsuit-targeting-corrupt-ice-official/
Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/former-seattle-immigration-lawyer-gets-30-days-for-forging-document/
LawProfessors: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2016/04/former-ice-attorney-headed-to-prison.html
Seattle PI: https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Charge-Seattle-ICE-prosecutor-lied-to-force-6757457.php
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Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry is a decorated disabled U.S. Army veteran who sustained injuries in the military that have left him in a wheelchair. Despite his military service and despite being married to a US citizen for 19 years, Chaudhry family, neighbors, friends and concerned citizens of the World are standing firm for Zahid’s right to remain home in the community he loves and the country he has served: United States of America.
Below are the undeniable facts about Zahid:
1. Zahid has always come to the U.S. legally in good faith.
2. Zahid has not broken any U.S. laws, not even a minor conviction.
3. Zahid served honorably in the U.S. Army as evidenced by his two Honorable discharge certificates.
4. And let’s not “selectively forget” Zahid’s Reserve Achievement Medal.
5. Zahid earned the National Defense Service Medal.
6. Zahid earned the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
7. Zahid earned the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
8. Zahid earned the United States Army Service Ribbon.
9. Zahid earned the Recruitment Achievement Medal.
10. Zahid earned the Army Strength Management Award; just to name some.
11. Zahid was encouraged time after time that volunteering for extra duty and going above and beyond the call of duty would be well rewarded. Zahid did lots of extra duty, volunteering for holiday duty and nights and weekends time and again, and giving much more than required or expected and was highly encouraged in everything he did. There were numerous incidences where Zahid had been told by cadre and officials he had earned medals, achievement awards and recognitions and those would be awarded to him, but at the very last moment some “convenient glitch” happened and they were not given to him. One example of this was when his platoon and other platoons were shocked to find out that Zahid was not awarded the Army Achievement Medal which was well-known and announced in the weeks prior, and when the soldiers asked the officials after the ceremony as to why, the soldiers were given the answer: “because they ran out of paper.” It was very hard for the soldiers to believe since they did not “run out of paper” for other soldiers who had put in a lot less hard work, sweat and blood.
12. During his dedicated & honorable service in the US Army, Zahid volunteered for extra duty & went above & beyond the call of duty: like in Ft. Sam, Texas he was simultaneously the Platoon Sergeant (Soldiering side; not only responsible for his 4 squad leaders, but also their soldiers as well).
13. Zahid also served as Class Leader (Academic side).
14. Zahid also served as Bay Sergeant (responsible for Housing, Accommodations & Facilities side).
15. Zahid also served as Drill Team Leader.
16. Zahid offered his body to the combat medics & military medical professionals many times to learn their skills & save lives. Zahid’s wife, Ann, remembers well that at times Zahid came home with his undershirt soaked with blood and both arms bloodied & bruised, and she asked what happened? Zahid would say, “Oh, medics needed some practice”.
17. Zahid has already qualified for expedited citizenship based on Qualified Military service, which is expedited even for those people who came here illegally & have broken US laws as evidenced by Tacoma News Tribune article dated Feb 12, 2004 ‘From illegal immigrant to U.S. soldier to citizen’. Why has Zahid been singled out, held to different standards, and not been given his earned (as people all over the world have proclaimed) citizenship?
18. Even the U.S. government admits that Zahid meets all the requirements for naturalization as a military veteran with the exception of doubt (how arbitrary, different-standard, malicious and convenient of them; please read facts #40 & #41 to understand this double-standard, hateful and delaying tactics on their part) about good moral character.
19. Zahid also qualified for citizenship based on married to U.S. citizen: Zahid and Ann have been married over 19 years.
20. Zahid qualified for citizenship on additional basis as well.
21. Zahid has given thousands of unpaid volunteer hours in service to community, including but not limited to: Fire Department (carrying pager 24/7 and responding to fire emergencies at all hours of the day and night).
22. Zahid also volunteered with the American Red Cross (general volunteer and also Youth Coordinator).
23. Zahid also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
24. Zahid helped out stranded people on the roads and highways.
25. Zahid has helped the elderly with their chores and giving them company.
26. Zahid has helped build community gardens.
27. Zahid has assisted seniors with shopping and taking them to appointments.
28. Zahid has helped with repairing and donating gardening tools.
29. Zahid volunteered with car & van pools and was designated driver.
30. Zahid helped out displaced people and refugees.
31. Zahid volunteered at Native American organizations and schools, motivated & inspired Native American students.
32. Zahid volunteered all day at spaghetti feeds to raise funds for children’s charities and raise awareness of public safety issues; just to name a few !
33. Zahid has never struck anyone; he didn’t rape anyone; he hasn’t killed anyone; he’s never stolen anyone’s money, and he hasn’t hurt anyone !
34. Zahid gave money, hard work, time & efforts; he’s fed people; he’s helped people at their utmost time of need; and he was not afraid to speak for the goodwill of the U.S.A. here and abroad.
35. Zahid has given of his blood (yes, he used to donate a lot of blood), sweat &hard work at every military facility he was at; and additionally in dedicated service to our state and country.
36. Even U.S.C.I.S. very senior officer for 30 years stated: “…highly recommend that his [Zahid’s] application for citizenship be granted.”
37. Military officials have said:
a. “To deny Zahid citizenship would be a crime.”
b. “… it is embarrassing and potentially fraudulent if the US government FAILS to grant Zahid citizenship when he has risked his life in service to the U.S.”
38. “No country can ask for more in a candidate for citizenship,” as people have said, documented, written and reminded again and again.
39. This honorable disabled American family has paid fees (even when they weren’t required, like for Military N400) and filled out complex, confusing & complicated forms to the best of their abilities.
40. So all the great things Zahid has done all his life does not get to define his “good moral character”, but some incident in a different country on a different continent on the other side of the world over 24 years ago in which he actually was the only victim, is taken out of context, reported inaccurately, selectively spun in arbitrary direction with prejudice, frivolous & inadmissible (according to the laws & rules of evidence), has no relevancy & out of jurisdiction gets to define Zahid’s character?
41. If this case & all the related incidents (not to forget all too many non related events) of discrimination, prejudice and outright hatred that this honorable disabled American family has gravely suffered, particularly since 9/11, is not proof to the world of bigotry, racism, intolerance, Islamophobia & double standards, what else would be?
42. Zahid has spread US goodwill and tried his best in being a goodwill ambassador of America in Europe & Asia. Zahid’s wife, Ann, can attest to numerous examples of this in Europe.
43. Whether it be on stage in front of thousands of people supporting moderate & sensible candidates in National elections in Pakistan many years ago, or mitigating individual concerns & bad feelings of German public & officials towards the United States, Zahid has been there to build bridges.
44. Before the recording of the July 2010 deposition of Zahid started, why did the dominating and oppressing prosecuting counsel (at that time Asst. US Attorney General for WA, Frank Wilson) make derogatory & insulting comments about all women in general? Was the coercing prosecuting counsel attempting to instigate Zahid to agree with the oppressor (Asst. US Attorney General for WA, Frank Wilson) and then use those comments out of context during the interview to assassinate Zahid’s character, as they have persistently and unsuccessfully attempted to do throughout?
45. At the beginning of the July 2010 deposition of Zahid, what was the intentional purpose of prosecuting counsel (Asst. US Attorney General for WA, Frank Wilson) putting his feet on the table right in Zahid’s face? Was Frank Wilson trying to trigger something by that despicable cultural insult?
46. What was the intentional purpose of the dominating prosecuting counsel (Asst. US Attorney General, Frank Wilson) in forcing Zahid to remove his protective eye-wear when counsel knew in advance, and were also reminded by Zahid and his attorney, about sensitivity to light?
47. What was the sinister motive of the prosecuting counsel’s (Asst. US Attorney General, Frank Wilson) intentional bullying attitude of yelling and screaming and banging fists on the table and files during that deposition, when the prosecuting counsel knew well that Zahid has sensitivity to sound?
48. Why did the prosecuting counsel (Asst. US Attorney General, Frank Wilson) lose control intentionally when Zahid had to take his prescribed pain medications, etc. during his deposition? What was Frank Wilson trying to achieve with all that drama?
49. During Mrs. Chaudhry’s July 2010 deposition for so many hours when Mrs. Chaudhry broke down and cried at numerous occasions due to the intentional and well-thought out verbal torture and mind games, why was the prosecuting counsel (Asst. US Attorney General, Frank Wilson) behaving in that merciless and atrocious manner?
50. Why, during Mrs. Chaudhry’s July 2010 deposition, did prosecuting counsel, Frank Wilson, intentionally make such a nuisance of himself, by making disrupting, distracting noises by loudly banging papers, files, boxes and himself around?
Keep Zahid Home ! 