Ohio Chaplain Freed From Jail as DHS Drops Deportation Case
Source: ProPublica
An Egyptian chaplain whose detention sparked a community uproar and became a test of counterterrorism powers in immigration court was released from an Ohio jail on Friday as the Department of Homeland Security abruptly withdrew its case against him.
The outcome is a victory for 51-year-old Ayman Soliman, a popular Muslim cleric whose hundreds of supporters include families he counseled at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The DHS move to restore his asylum status and drop deportation efforts comes after court filings documented errors and inconsistencies in the government’s evidence portraying him as a terrorist.
Just before 1 p.m., Soliman walked out of Butler County Jail with a broad smile and a plastic bag containing his belongings, a moment filmed by his friends and advocates. He had been scheduled for an immigration trial next week and faced deportation to Egypt, which he fled in 2014 because of political persecution.
...
Soliman’s asylum status was reinstated and his application for a green card has been revived, said Robert Ratliff, one of his attorneys. Early Friday, Ratliff had filed documents showing wording discrepancies in what should have been identical asylum termination notices to Soliman. One version called him a “member” of a terrorist group and the other accused him of providing illegal aid to a terrorist group. Soliman has denied both contentions.
Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/ayman-soliman-dhs-deportation-free-ohio
See earlier threads, such as
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016409519
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220513498
https://www.democraticunderground.com/107110124
What will happen to the 2 hospital chaplains who were sacked for defending Soliman on social media, I don't know. I hope the hospital will regain its morals, and take them back an apologise.