Ansar Mahmood, a detainee on whose behalf we had been working to enable him to stay in the US was deported to Pakistan on 08/12/2004. We are still in touch with him by phone, letters and email and are providing his family with a monthly stipend in place of the reparations that the government should be paying. Ansar had been sending his family money every month until he was incarcerated.

Ansar Mahmood deported to Pakistan

By John Mason Register Star 08/13/2004

NEW YORK -- Ansar Mahmood, the local pizza delivery man who spent two and a half years fighting what he and his many supporters considered an unjust order of deportation, was flown back to Pakistan Thursday. U.S. Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement employees escorted him out of the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia, Genesee County, and, by plane, to Kennedy International Airport in Queens.

Mahmood was arrested a month after the 9/11 tragedy when, in search of scenic photos to send home to his family, he asked a city employee to take his picture in front of the Hudson water treatment plant. He was soon cleared of any possible connection to terrorist activities, but a search of his dwelling revealed that he had co-signed an apartment lease for two friends who had overstayed their visas.

He was tried and convicted of harboring illegal aliens and sentenced to time served plus five years' probation.

But since, under the tough 1996 immigration laws, any conviction of a felony means automatic deportation for an alien, Mahmood was scheduled to be deported. However, he has fought deportation, first by appealing his conviction, then by appealing to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and finally by seeking "deferred action," which, while not granting him permanent residency, would have released him from confinement.

His deportation had been expected on a daily basis since June 29, when Mahmood received a letter from BICE Buffalo field office Director William Cleary denying the deferred action. Some hopes had been raised when a Pakistani embassy official flew Mahmood to Washington July 30, but this produced no results.

Earlier this week, Mahmood told Susan Davies of the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee that he expected to be deported by the end of the week. Davies received a phone message from Mahmood at 9 p.m. Thursday saying he was at Kennedy, getting ready to board the plane. He apparently took Pakistani International Airlines Flight 724 to Karachi, Pakistan. His family lives in a village in the province of Gujarat.

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Note that this story in abbreviated form was picked up by the AP wire, as two earlier stories on Ansar had been, and as of 081304 was being carried by 42 news media.

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Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee

c/o Chatham Peace Initiative, P.O. Box 34, Chatham, NY 12037 info@chathampeace.org www.chathampeace.org

NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT: Susan Davies 518-392-9477 or Bob Elmendorf 518-766-2992

August 13, 2004

ANSAR MAHMOOD DEPORTED BY US GOVERNMENT ON AUGUST 12, 2004

After thirty-one months in detention, Ansar Mahmood was deported by the United States government on the night of Thursday, August 12, 2004. He was flown out of JFK International Airport on a Pakistan International Airlines commercial flight accompanied by two guards. Because Mr. Mahmood was not informed of his exact deportation date ahead of time and because his telephone privileges were suspended at the time he was notified of his deportation, he was unable to contact his friends and supporters to tell them of his deportation until he was already at the airport. This meant that the people he had adopted as his American family and friends were unable to wish him good-by either at the airport or even on the telephone. “This is part of the government’s strategy,” said AMDC member Susan Davies, “to keep the current epidemic of deportations invisible to the American public. They don’t want the sorrow and pain caused by their harsh immigration policies recorded and reported because that might cause people to question what’s going on.”

Aarti Shahani and Subhash Kateel of Families for Freedom in New York City did rush out to the airport in an attempt to wish Mr. Mahmood good-by but were not able to reach him in time. Mr. Mahmood did phone the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee shortly before boarding the plane, and was unable to speak to them directly but did leave a message saying that he was at the airport and being deported.

The Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee will be releasing a formal statement in response to Mr. Mahmood's deportation.

Mr. Mahmood was first placed in the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in January 2002 under an order of deportation because of the harsh 1996 Immigration Laws which made detention and deportation mandatory for non-citizens with a wide range of legal and bureaucratic infractions.

Ansar Mahmood came to the US legally having won a green card in a lottery. He hoped this would be the beginning of a better life for his parents and his younger sisters who live in poverty in Pakistan. He worked as a pizza delivery man in Hudson, NY and made enough money to send home. Then on October 9, 2001 he was arrested because he asked guards at the Hudson water treatment plant to take his picture by the plant with the Catskill mountains in the background. They were suspicious that he might be a terrorist and called the police. Mr. Mahmood was immediately cleared of any connection to terrorism, but was detained and ordered deported because he pled guilty to “harboring illegal aliens” for helping fellow immigrants whose visas had expired.

In April 2003 a group of local people formed the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee which worked with Mr. Mahmood and other organizations and individuals across the country to fight his deportation.

Mr. Mahmood received international media attention for his fight against his arbitrary detention and deportation. He received Congressional support from seven U.S. Senators and twenty member of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as a majority of the Hudson City Council members. He also received support and sympathy from individuals and non governmental organizations across the country. He is also one of thirteen September 11 detainees for whom the ACLU submitted a petition to the Office of the United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights protesting the arbitrary detention of Arab and Muslim men following 9/11.

For more information about Ansar Mahmood check www.chathampeace.org or write the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee, c/o CPI, PO Box 34, Chatham, NY 12037, or call 518-392-9477 or 518-766-2992.

August 7, 2004

On Friday, July 30, 2004 the Pakistani Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Mohammad Sadiq, had Ansar Mahmood flown to meet with him in Washington, DC. Mr. Mahmood was accompanied by a captain from the prison and another officer. He was not handcuffed on the plane and was allowed to wear civilian clothes. He was taken by SUV to a prison and put in a dirty holding cell for two hours.

He was then taken to a room where he met with Mr. Sadiq for a two hour conversation in Urdu. Mr. Sadiq told him that he had met with President Bush’s National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and with the State Department to urge them to speak on Mr. Mahmood’s behalf, but that his efforts had failed to stop the deportation order. After their conversation, Mr. Sadiq ordered a Pakistani lunch and the conversation was continued in English.

Mr. William Cleary, the Buffalo District Director for Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) who wrote the letter denying Mr. Mahmood his request for deferred action, joined the meeting. Mr. Cleary, who has never met Mr. Mahmood before, made it a point to shake Mr. Mahmood’s hand and say that because Mr. Mahmood had a good record at the facility and his attitude and behavior had been so good, it would make it easier for him to return to the US in the future. Mr. Cleary’s attitude was in stark contrast with the tone and content of his letter of a few weeks earlier in which he denied Mr. Mahmood his request for deferred action and defamed his character. After this, Mr. Mahmood was flown back to Buffalo and returned to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility.

Susan Davies for the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee.

07/14/2004 UPDATE ON THE VIGIL

40 vigilers gathered at the mouth of the prison, the mouth that sucks immigrants into its mawl, to protest the decision to deport Ansar. The government on all levels must begin to respect our communities, and eliminate laws that have enabled the detention and deporation of well over a million immigrants over the last seven years causing incalculable physical and financial hardship and heartache for families, individuals and communities all over this country and the world. Under rainey skies 12 stayed overnite in tents. State police deputies asked them to strike their tents today because the Automotive Corporation on Federal drive was afraid there could be a safety problem. This was resolved amicably between the vigilers and the the company and they were allowed to have chairs by the curb. However Dawn Claus of the prison staff told two media people this morning that she would have to call Washington for permission for them to interview Ansar. She has not as of this entry got back to them. We believe they are trying to have a media blackout and have notified several local and national media that we believe this to be the case. This has heightened interest in the vigil and media has been provided with on site cell phone numbers to access for an update. The vigil will be continued tonight into tomorrow.

PROTEST BICE/DHS DECISION TO DEPORT ANSAR MAHMOOD

Tuesday, July 13 starting at 8 p.m. a peaceful Vigil will begin in front of the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, NY to protest BICE/DHS's decision to refuse Ansar Mahmood's request for deferred action. We invite everyone who can make it to come out to Batavia to protest against this injustice. The vigil will continue throughout the night and the following days.

Rajesh Barnabas of Rochester and Rev. Richard Rose of Batavia are the central organizers for this protest. You can check our website www.chathampeace.org for updates on arrangements for the event. If you are coming from the Columbia County or Albany/Capital District area, please call me (Susan) at 518-392-9477 so we can coordinate times and transportation.

This case is being watched throughout the world. Over the last week, since Mr. Cleary's letter of refusal became public, the story has been publicized all over the US, Asia and the Middle East. Now it is important for us to make clear that we as Americans object to our government's harsh and unfair treatment of immigrants in this country. In his letter, Mr. Cleary stated more than once that Ansar Mahmood is in no way connected to terrorism and yet then went on to say that he "posed a serious threat to national security." This contradiction is a clear example of the way in which our government is using the pervasive national fear of terrorism to target immigrants. About three quarters of the detainees in the Batavia Facility are there with deported charges. None of them is "a serious threat to national security."

We are making two demands:

1. Tom Ridge of the Department of Homeland Security should reverse William Cleary's decision and allow Ansar Mahmood to return to Columbia County, NY

2. Our government on all levels must change it's harsh immigration policies which have resulted in well over a million deportations over the last seven years causing untold physical and financial hardship and heartache for families, individuals and communities all over this country and the world.

If you cannot travel to Batavia for the vigil, you can:

1. Call Tom Ridge's office at 202-282-8000 to protest Mr. Cleary's decision and ask that Mr. Ridge grant Ansar Mahmood deferred action status.

2. Contact your Senator and/or US Representative and register a protest about this decision. Ask Congress to put pressure on Mr. Ridge as well. (Call 1-800-839-5276)

Directions to Buffalo Federal Detention Facility

Batavia is located directly off of Interstate 90 half way between Rochester and Buffalo, NY in Western New York State.

Take Interstate 90 to Exit 48 (Batavia)

After getting off at the Exit, take a right onto Route 98

Go a short distance on Route 98 over a bridge and take the first left after the bridge onto Federal Drive

Follow Federal Drive to the end and you'll be at the entrance to the Detention Facility.

Thanks again for your ongoing support of Ansar Mahmood. When Irum Shiekh & I visited him on Monday, Ansar said he wanted to make sure that people knew that he still loved this country and that he feels he has received a great bounty of love and kindness from all the people that have reached out to help him and that if he gets deported, he will take that love back with him to Pakistan.

Susan

July 2, 2004

chatham peace initiative Response to BICE’s Letter Denying Ansar Mahmood’s Request for Deferred Action

June 29, 2004 Mr. William Cleary of BICE rejected Ansar Mahmood’s application for deferred action. This means he is very close to being deported. There are two versions of their letter. The first is undated and unsigned and was received from a reporter. The second was received from Rex Velasquez, Ansar’s lawyer and is dated and signed.

What you can do to help: Please help us by making one phone call THIS FRIDAY, JULY 1st FROM 2-4 P.M. to Victor Cerda, Detention & Removal Office, 202 514 8663 and stating:

*** I urge the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider its decision in the case of Ansar Mahmood, a young Pakistani man caught in the post 9/11 dragnet. Before being detained he was living and delivering pizza in Hudson, NY. His community and his supporters around the world have been fighting for his freedom for 2 years. Ansar has hundreds of letters of support, as well as the support of 7 senators and 20 members of Congress! District Director William Cleary just issued a decision denying Ansar’s request for deferred action. Please reverse this decision and return Ansar to his American community.***

Also call your senators and congress member at 800-839-5276.

For more information on how to support this campaign, contact:
* Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee: Susan Davies @ 518.392.9477 or Bob Elmendorf @ 518.766.2992

Our SIX PART PLAN to keep Ansar in the country:

The call-in plan above.

Working with Senators to circulate a private bill to keep Ansar in the country.

Working with Congress members to circulate this private bill in the house.

Working with NGO’s

Amnesty International just wrote a letter to Tom Ridge.

ACLU will call

National Council of Churches Shanta Premawardhana, Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations, will write a letter.

Holding a candle light vigil outside Ansar’s prison in Batavia NY Saturday July 3 9pm 2004

Working with the media to alert everyone of Ansar’s increasing chances of being deported. To see the more than 100 stories and television and radio coverage:

Bring up http://news.google.com/

Type in Ansar Mahmood in the search box

Page down to the bottom and click on repeat the search with the omitted results included

Click next to go the second page-around 103 if you subtract some a cricket entry.

Raising objections to the letter Mr. Cleary of BICE sent. Please do not be put off by allegations of conflicting testimony which Mr. Cleary has raised. This is a time worn device to send us into squabbling about details and is futile attempt to derail us from the main issues. Ansar’s deferred action application is supposed to deal with how well Ansar can now merge back into his community, not the vicissitudes of prior legal hearings. And to be fair to Mr. Cleary, although he signed the letter, indubitably his superiors had input.

The letter never mentioned Ansar’s support in congress,

The letter never mentioned Ansar’s unblemished 2 and ½ year stay in prison beyond his allotted sentence where he had an impeccable reputation which was verified with prison staff member. Not one single letter or reference was included, although Mr. Cleary as Director (Warden) Chuck Mule’s immediate supervisor, had access to Ansar’s entire prison file.

Letters from various religious groups and ngo’s are not mentioned by name but merely lumped into a group of over 100 letters.

No mention is made whatsoever of the several offers of housing offered to Ansar.

No mention is made whatsoever of the various offers of employment which have offered to Ansar.

An attempt is made to undervalue the close friendship of the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee and two local community members with Ansar which has been sustained through visits, scores of phone calls and scores of letters, and even two tours of the prison where Ansar is incarcerated.

Keep in mind that all Ansar did is help two friends whose visas had expired. There are 10 million undocumented aliens in this country, so what he did is an extremely common occurrence and not a threat to this country’s security.

June 25, 2004 Twenty Congress members sign letter on behalf of Ansar Mahmood that was delivered to the Honorable Tom Ridge today.

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JUNE 18-JULY 18, 2004 FUND DRIVE FOR ANSAR MAHMOOD

We are in great need of donations for travel, office expenses, mailing, printing, phone calls, faxes and incidentals for Ansar who also works in the prison for a nominal wage. In addition, when Ansar is released he will need medical coverage and there will be expenses getting him settled until he resumes working.

Donations can be made out to Chatham Peace Initiative and mailed to: Chatham Peace Initiative, PO Box 34, Chatham, NY 12037

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JUNE 22, 2004 A VISIT TO ANSAR MAHMOOD, A TOUR OF THE BUFFALO FEDERAL DETENTION FACILITY AND A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION AT MAIN STREET COFFEE SHOP

Members of the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee and friends are driving out to Batavia, NY on Tuesday, June 22 to visit Ansar Mahmood and to go on a tour of the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility where Ansar is being held. Mr. Mule, the supervisor of the facility, has arranged for us to have a tour and to have some extra time to visit Ansar.

After the tour, we will meet at the Main Street Coffee Shop at 111 East Main Street in Batavia, NY at 5 p.m. to hold a informal roundtable discussion about Ansar Mahmood and US Immigrant Detentions in general. Those who participated in the tour of the facility will have an opportunity to share their impressions with others. Rev. Richard Rose, from the First Baptist Church in Batavia will also be part of the discussion. He toured the facility with other pastors on Monday, June 7, and he has been visiting Ansar regularly in the Detention Facility since March. Members of the media are invited to come and participate in the discussion at the Main Street Coffee Shop.

Traveling from the Columbia County area are Bob Elmendorf, Susan Davies, Nancy Rothman, Christina Malisoff and Anzala Wilson. Rajesh Barnabas and Amy Bench will be coming from Rochester, NY to join in the tour as well. Documentary filmmaker Jim Sofranko will also be traveling to Batavia from Ulster County, NY to record the event for the documentary film he is making about Ansar, however, he is not permitted to participate in the tour or bring his camera into the facility.

Susan Davies

518-392-9477

www.chathampeace.org

June 19, 2004 Mi-Choong released from jail and will not be deported! Article Website

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June 18, 2004 Click here for Ansar’s thank you letter to members of the Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee

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June 17, 2004 There is a letter initiated by Congressmen Honda and Rangel to the Honorable Tom Ridge on behalf of Ansar Mahmood circulating in the House of Representatives for signatures. Current plans call for that letter to be submitted next week.

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June 17, 2004 Rex Velasquez, Ansar’s lawyer, was interviewed by Rod Sharpe on BBC’s Up All Night Show.

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June 14, 2004 Ansar and Irum Shiekh, a graduate student and activist in California doing a thesis on detainees are interviewed by KPFA

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June 14, 2004 Independent.CO.UK.

Framed for taking a picture

When he took a photograph of the autumn foliage in New York, Ansar Mahmood had no idea he would be accused of plotting a terrorist atrocity. From his prison cell, the former pizza delivery man tells David Usborne why he won't stop fighting for freedom.

Click for rest of story.

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June 10, 2004 a letter in support of Ansar co-signed by Congressmen Charles Rangel of New York’s 15^th district, and Mike Honda of California’s 15^th district went out to every office and committee in the House. When this letter has been fully circulated it will be sent to the Honorable Tom Ridge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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June 10, 2004 Rex Velasquez, Ansar’s lawyer, received this order from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals which was worded as follows:

             6/7/04 Ordered that the appeal is withdrawn with

             prejudice FILED. "IT IS STIPULATED AND AGREED

             , by and between the parties, that the

             above-captioned petition for review shall be,

             and hereby is, withdrawn with prejudice and

             without costs or attorney's fees to either

             party, pursuant to Rule 42(b) of the Federal

             Rules of Appellate Procedure."  (For the

             Court: LG)

This means that Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Buffalo can now review Ansar’s application for deferred action and release under supervision.

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June 6, 2004

A 9/11 Lesson: Don't Photograph the Water

By LISA W. FODERARO

UDSON, N.Y. - On a cloudless autumn day three years ago, Ansar Mahmood, a pizza deliveryman for a Domino's near here, took a few hours off from work to snap pictures of the Hudson River amid the foliage, to send home to his family in Pakistan.

CLICK FOR REST OF LISA’S STORY

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MAY 24, 2004 WNBC's Gabe Pressman news show at 11:00 tonight will feature Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey and Susan Davies discussing Ansar Mahmood's case. Senator Corzine was one of five senators who sent a joint letter Friday to Honorable Tom Ridge regarding Ansar's case. If anyone can tape this show, we would appreciate it. Thank you.

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MAY 21, 2004: SENATORS FEINGOLD, KENNEDY, LEAHY, DURBIN AND CORZINE SEND JOINT LETTER TO HONORABLE TOM RIDGE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Call-in 2:00-4:00 pm Thursday, May 20, 2004

Thanks to your help, the campaign against Ansar Mahmood’s deportation has gained the support of elected officials including Congressmen Rangel and Hinchey, and Senators Schumer and Clinton. The Washington Post, the Guardian, and NBC are among the dozens of domestic and international media outlets that have spoken out against the detention and deportation of this young Pakistani man who was caught in the post 9/11 dragnet. We have collected hundreds of letters of support, asking Homeland Security to free Ansar. Now we need to step up the pressure - one last time.

Ansar has been detained administratively in prison for over 2 years. His fight in the courts is over. The Department of Homeland Security must decide in the next few days whether to ship Ansar to Pakistan, or let him rejoin his community here by granting him deferred action (a status that allows him to return to his life & work in upstate New York). Please help us THIS THURSDAY, MAY 20th from 2-4pm by calling the officials who will decide Ansar’s fate. Below are the numbers to two key officials, and a statement you can read to express your support:

Mr. William C. Cleary

Acting Field Director, Immigration & Customs Enforcement

Detention and Removal Operations

130 Delaware Avenue

Buffalo, NY 14202

716-551-4741 ext 2530.

Victor Cerda, Detention & Removal Office, 202.305.2734 or 202.514.4922

*** I urge the Department of Homeland Security to grant deferred action to Ansar Mahmood, a young Pakistani man caught in the post 911 dragnet. Before being detained he was living and delivering pizza in Hudson, NY. His community and his supporters around the world have been fighting for his freedom for 2 years. I am outraged that the government is pouring my tax dollars into the detention and deportation of our neighbors and friends. Give Ansar back!***

For more information on how to support this campaign, contact:

Ansar Mahmood Defense Committee: Susan Davies @ 518-392-9477 or Bob Elmendorf @ 518-766-2992
Families for Freedom: Aarti Shahani @ 212-898-4121

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SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON INTERVIEWED BY WNBC’S GABE PRESSMAN MAY 16, 2004 (CONTROL F TO ANSAR)

SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTS ANSAR

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has joined her colleague Senator Charles Schumer in writing a LETTER of support to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) on behalf of 9/11 detainee Ansar Mahmood. On Monday, April 12, 2004, Senator Clinton sent a letter to Michael Garcia, Assistant Secretary for BICE, describing Mr. Mahmood’s case and calling the facts of his case “disturbing.” She concludes her letter saying “The facts as they have been relayed to me are indeed compelling. I would appreciate receiving, therefore, as soon as possible, information regarding Mr. Mahmood’s status and any consideration you may give to the requests of my constituents that Mr. Mahmood be released and allowed to remain in the United States.”

SENATOR SCHUMER CALLS FOR ANSAR’S RELEASE MARCH 17, 2004 press release AND FACSIMILE OF LETTER TO THE HONORABLE MICHAEL J. GARCIA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT

our neighbor, Ansar Mahmood . . .

For those of us living here in Columbia County, Ansar Mahmood is a neighbor who was unfairly treated and manipulated into making a guilty plea in a culture, language and system he did not understand and with inadequate legal representation. For us he represents the millions of immigrants who have come to this country in good faith seeking a better life, free of the prejudices and oppressions they had to contend with in their native lands. It is ironic that Mr. Mahmood who was so happy to be treated as an equal by the people of Hudson, NY, suddenly found himself the victim of racial/religious profiling and in a tangle of legalities that have ended up defining him as a felon, a definition that distorts the reality of his generous, hard-working and optimistic spirit.

We appeal to the BCIS to stop Mr. Mahmood's deportation and allow him to resume his life here in Columbia County, NY as a legal immigrant where he was and can continue to be a positive addition to our community. If this process is going to take awhile we ask that Mr. Mahmood be released into the custody of the many people in his community concerned for his welfare. more.