NJ Islamic Activists Rally For Restaurant Owner Detained By ICE

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — The largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States is calling for the release of a South Jersey restaurant owner who was detained by federal immigration agents.

Iemad Saifo, 65, was called in for a check-in at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on July 31 before being subsequently arrested and taken to Delaney Hall, the site of multiple detainee deaths and concerns over living conditions.

"Leaders from all faith traditions are at the forefront of the fight for immigrant rights at Delaney Hall," Naureen Akhter, Public Affairs Director for The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), told Patch. "Our faith compels us to help those who cannot help themselves."

The "beloved small business owner and father," CAIR-NJ said of Saifo, has a December court date for his immigration case after coming to America in 2002 from Syria.

His four children and his wife are all already citizens in the United States.

"Iemad Saifo should be at home with his family...He is an elderly man with chronic health conditions, whose children, particularly his 11-year-old autistic son, rely on him," Akhter added.

The group asked ICE to release him on bond and echoed his family's calls for letters to be sent to the Newark Field Office and donations for his legal funds.

Should Saifo be freed, Akhter said the release would stand as a reminder that there is "justice still. That we can rally behind a detained person and secure their freedom. Yet there are so many others who don't have communities to organize for them."

On Monday, ICE responded to Saifo's arrest and groups like CAIR-NJ's call for his release.

According to the agency, he is a convicted criminal having to do with witness tampering and is "unlawfully present in the U.S."

Federal officials went on to ensure that Saifo will receive "full due process."

CAIR-NJ operates as an outlet to Muslim New Jerseyans who report harassment, bullying, or intimidation at school, work, or government entities.

The group offers legal services, toolkits, and advocacy for cases of anti-Muslim hate. They also partner with non-Muslim social justice groups to help those in a variety of marginalized communities across New Jersey.

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