Thread: TX-ICE responds, Gohmert`s condemnation ,Lufkin restaurateur

Update, 5:30 p.m.: U.S. immigration responds indirectly to congressman's condemnation in treatment of Lufkin restaurateur



By JESSICA SAVAGE


Thursday, August 13, 2009

A Texas congressman Thursday condemned the actions of U.S. immigration authorities for detaining a Lufkin restaurateur and Albanian asylum seeker months before authorities indicated they would.

"After first indicating that no action would be taken until December, ICE (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) has done nothing here to help its credibility. ICE has now also severely limited its communication on this issue," said U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) in a press release issued Thursday.


ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok did not respond directly to Gohmert's statements, but confirmed Rrustem Neza was taken into custody at work Aug. 5 and is being held in Louisiana. Neza and a brother own a handful of East Texas eateries, including the Joe's Italian Grill restaurant with locations in Lufkin and formerly in Nacogdoches. Neza's brother, who asked his name not be used, denied a report that Neza had been taken into custody at the Lufkin restaurant. ICE could not immediately be reached for comment on where it happened.

ICE has indicated it will deport Neza sometime this month, but has not disclosed a specific date, Gohmert said.

Rusnok said ICE does not disclose deportation schedules because of operation security reasons.

The congressman said he would continue to fight for Neza's stay in the U.S.

"Though ICE seems determined to move quickly ahead with delivering this man's life into imminent danger, I am continuing to fight against this wrongful deportation or at least find a better solution that won't put his life in peril. I have and will continue to stay in contact with officials at the Department of Homeland Security to see what can be done to postpone or halt Rrustem's deportation," he said.

ICE petitioned a federal court in late 2007 for permission to medicate Neza after agents couldn't deport him because he was terrified and wouldn't calm down, AP reported. Agents say Neza was combative and shouted "I am not a terrorist!" in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Airport police and agents cuffed him and took him to a holding cell, but Neza wasn't allowed to board the commercial flight, according to court documents obtained by AP.

Attempts to sedate him would have had to be approved by a federal court.

Neza fears deportation will put his life in jeopardy because according to him he publicly identified men accused of gunning down an Albanian democratic leader in 1998. Two of Neza's cousins were murdered for their knowledge of the incident. Neza's brothers were granted asylum in the U.S., but his own claim was denied although though it was based on the same facts as his siblings'.

Gomert has said Neza's "ineffective" counsel contributed to him not being granted asylum.

Neza's impending deportation was postponed last year when the U.S. House Subcommittee on Immigration began examining his case as part of a private bill Gohmert introduced seeking to give Neza lawful permanent resident status.

Neza's brother said Wednesday he was upset by the way his brother was taken into custody Friday.

"They were supposed to notify us. Not to capture him as an animal. They didn't tell (us) nothing," he said. "We tried and it didn't work. It's over. It's ridiculous and it's a shame."

The brother said Neza's family paid a $25,000 bond and expected to be notified of the date Neza needed to turn himself in to authorities. Neza initially was arrested in February 2007 after falsely claiming he was a U.S. citizen, Rusnok said. His attorney says the citizenship claim was a mistake made by the person filling out a liquor license application for Neza, AP reported.

Gohmert on Thursday asked the community to continue to show its support for the Neza family. The community sent a number of letters of support to The Lufkin Daily News last year opposing Neza's deportation and asking for his release.

http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/con ... =7&cxcat=9

I'm missing something in this story, if the man (Neza) is in the U.S. ILLEGALLY then why is the Congressman defending him? I checked the congressman's grade; his overall score is an A- however he does have an F for supporting work visas for non-Citizens. I wonder if the reason Homeland Security is going after this ILLEGAL so hard is payback for the congressman's strong support for U.S. Citizens and his effort against ILLEGALS in the U.S.

"Neza's brothers were granted asylum in the U.S., but his own claim was denied although though it was based on the same facts as his siblings'."

If Homeland Security had placed this much effort and resources into going to the many Home Depot's and Wal-Mart’s they could have deported thousands of ILLEGALS instead of just one.

Not sure we are seeing all of the facts in this story.