Man detained for link to failed Times Sq. bombing no longer faces deportation

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last Updated: 3:24 PM, December 23, 2010
Posted: 3:22 PM, December 23, 2010

PORTLAND, Maine — The Pakistani man detained in Maine during an investigation of a botched car bombing in New York City’s Times Square no longer faces deportation and is pursuing permanent residence status so he can remain with his wife in South Portland, his attorney said Thursday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement dropped its deportation request last month for Mohammad Shafiq Rahman of South Portland, said Cynthia Arn, his immigration attorney.

Rahman was one of three Pakistani men detained May 13 in New England during the Times Square investigation. He was held for 15 weeks on a visa violation before being released in August. The man who has admitted to leaving an SUV rigged with a homemade bomb in Times Square on May 1, Faisal Shahzad, has been sentenced to life in prison.

“Clearly, a determination has been made there’s nothing controversial about this case any more as far as immigration is concerned,â€