American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) held a community leadership meeting in Michigan on Wednesday, May 30th, to address issues of concern to the Arab-American community. The primary issue related to the 1996 immigration law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA).

The meeting was hosted by Imad Hamad, ADC Midwest Regional Director, and the ADC Michigan Advisory Board, and was co-hosted by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). The meeting was attended by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and assembled a wide range of prominent officials from the state of Michigan, including Ms. Jennifer M. Granholm, Attorney General of Michigan, judges, defense attorneys and county prosecutors. The meeting was also attended by Mr. David Venturella, Assistant Deputy Executive Associate Commissioner for the Detention and Removal Program in the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and included officials from the local INS district office. Azzam Elder, Esq., Chairperson of the ADC Michigan Advisory Board, Mohammad Abdrabboh, Esq., local advisory board member, and Carol F. Khawly, J.D., ADC Legal Advisor, conducted the meeting.

The passage of IIRAIRA severely eroded the legal protections long afforded to non-citizens in the United States. Under the current law, immigrants are routinely detained without bond, deported without hearings and restricted in their access to counsel. IIRAIRA provides for the mandatory detention of all non-citizens found to be deportable for either retroactive or recent convictions, but who have no state to which they can be deported for various reasons. This creates a condition of indefinite detention, in effect a potential life sentence, for no justifiable reason. This predicament affects persons from countries such as Cuba and some of the former Soviet republics, as well as immigrants from a number of Arab states such as Iraq and Lybia, as well as stateless Palestinians.

The purpose of the meeting was to encourage dialogue between the Arab-American community and the INS and bring to the forefront issues of concern, specifically secret evidence and indefinite detention and its impact on immigrant communities and families. Mr. Elder began the meeting by providing a brief overview of IIRAIRA, specifically addressing the retroactivity provision of the law, as well as abuses of discretion by various INS officials. He also addressed how INS officials may cooperate with prosecutors and defense attorneys to explain the impact of the immigration law on non-citizen clients who plead guilty to various criminal offenses.

Carol Khawly addressed alternatives to detention and focused on problems associated with indefinite detainees regarding their access to counsel and legal representation, and family visitation and access to medical and religious services. She also addressed support for two current pieces of legislation (HR 1452 and S 955) which seek to amend many of the harsh provisions enacted by IIRAIRA.

After introducing Mr. Venturella, Mr. Abdrabboh. discussed how the Arab-American community can build a constructive and cooperative relationship with INS officials to address these issues.

Mr. Venturella addressed concerns posed at the meeting and provided suggestions as to how INS seeks to monitor and implement the new INS detention standards recently adopted in January of this year. He also extended his willingness to build a positive relationship between the Arab-American community and the INS. A question and answer session followed and proposals were presented.

ADC extends its appreciation for all those who attended the meeting and hopes that this will be the first of many meetings in achieving a mutually beneficial relationship with INS.

	1 June, 2001
	ADC Meets with Members of Congress and INS Officials in Michigan

	The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) held a community leadership meeting in Michigan on Wednesday, May 30th, to address issues of concern to the Arab-American community. The primary issue related to the 1996 immigration law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA). The meeting was hosted by Imad Hamad, ADC Midwest Regional Director, and the ADC Michigan Advisory Board, and was co-hosted by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). The meeting was attended by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and assembled a wide range of prominent officials from the state of Michigan, including Ms. Jennifer M. Granholm, Attorney General of Michigan, judges, defense attorneys and county prosecutors. The meeting was also attended by Mr. David Venturella, Assistant Deputy Executive Associate Commissioner for the Detention and Removal Program in the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and included officials from the local INS district office. Azzam Elder, Esq., Chairperson of the ADC Michigan Advisory Board, Mohammad Abdrabboh, Esq., local advisory board member, and Carol F. Khawly, J.D., ADC Legal Advisor, conducted the meeting. The passage of IIRAIRA severely eroded the legal protections long afforded to non-citizens in the United States. Under the current law, immigrants are routinely detained without bond, deported without hearings and restricted in their access to counsel. IIRAIRA provides for the mandatory detention of all non-citizens found to be deportable for either retroactive or recent convictions, but who have no state to which they can be deported for various reasons. This creates a condition of indefinite detention, in effect a potential life sentence, for no justifiable reason. This predicament affects persons from countries such as Cuba and some of the former Soviet republics, as well as immigrants from a number of Arab states such as Iraq and Lybia, as well as stateless Palestinians. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage dialogue between the Arab-American community and the INS and bring to the forefront issues of concern, specifically secret evidence and indefinite detention and its impact on immigrant communities and families. Mr. Elder began the meeting by providing a brief overview of IIRAIRA, specifically addressing the retroactivity provision of the law, as well as abuses of discretion by various INS officials. He also addressed how INS officials may cooperate with prosecutors and defense attorneys to explain the impact of the immigration law on non-citizen clients who plead guilty to various criminal offenses. Carol Khawly addressed alternatives to detention and focused on problems associated with indefinite detainees regarding their access to counsel and legal representation, and family visitation and access to medical and religious services. She also addressed support for two current pieces of legislation (HR 1452 and S 955) which seek to amend many of the harsh provisions enacted by IIRAIRA. After introducing Mr. Venturella, Mr. Abdrabboh. discussed how the Arab-American community can build a constructive and cooperative relationship with INS officials to address these issues. Mr. Venturella addressed concerns posed at the meeting and provided suggestions as to how INS seeks to monitor and implement the new INS detention standards recently adopted in January of this year. He also extended his willingness to build a positive relationship between the Arab-American community and the INS. A question and answer session followed and proposals were presented. ADC extends its appreciation for all those who attended the meeting and hopes that this will be the first of many meetings in achieving a mutually beneficial relationship with INS.