The Trump administration’s mass deportation plan has sparked significant anxiety among Atlanta’s Black immigrant community, affecting even those with legal immigration status.
Nnamdi Ihenacho, founder of the African Immigrant Collective based in Atlanta, expressed, “The fear is real.”
He highlighted that individuals holding legal documents are still plagued by concerns over the potential revocation of their citizenship or green cards.
The looming threat of detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under harsh conditions amplifies these fears, as does the reality of unlawful deportation, where individuals could be sent far away from their families, often to countries where they lack connections.
In a recent incident, five men—three from Nigeria and two from The Gambia—were deported despite receiving either withholding of removal orders or deferrals under the United Nations Convention Against Torture from a federal judge.
These men had been held at a Ghanaian detention camp following their time in various ICE facilities across the United States.
Last week, the Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), in conjunction with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and the law firm Grossman, Young, and Hammond, filed a lawsuit on behalf of these men, aiming to prevent their return due to the high risk of harm they would face if sent back to their home countries.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan chose not to intervene, citing the men’s transfer to the custody of the Ghanaian government as a barrier.
She remarked, “[The court] is alarmed and dismayed by the circumstances under which these removals are being carried out, especially in light of the government’s cavalier acceptance of Plaintiffs’ ultimate transfer to countries where they face torture and persecution. But its hands are tied.”
For the sake of anonymity, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are only identified by their initials.
The men were reported to be under armed guard at Dema Camp in a remote area of Ghana alongside six other West African men before being sent back to their respective countries.
Following the lawsuit, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana’s Minister of Government Communications, claimed that the men had already been repatriated.
However, this assertion was disputed by AAAJ, which continues its fight for their return to the United States.
Samantha Hamilton, an attorney with AAAJ working on the case, stated, “We believe the judge can order the U.S. government to facilitate their return to the U.S., as other judges presiding over third-country removal cases have done.”
One plaintiff, referred to as D.A., had been granted relief based on his affiliation with a political party opposed to the current regime in Nigeria.
His immigration paperwork contained a detailed declaration about the torture he endured at the hands of police and military forces while residing in Nigeria.
Another plaintiff, identified as K.S., is openly bisexual and received a removal deferral under the Convention Against Torture because same-sex activity is punishable by life imprisonment in his home country, The Gambia.
AAAJ hopes the legal relief obtained for these individuals will ultimately extend to the six other men who faced deportation alongside them over the past weekend.
Ihenacho emphasized the importance of due process, stating, “One of the things we’ve always loved about America is it’s a nation of laws and due process. It’s a place where even the little guy gets his day in court. And if we’re not protected under that system, that’s about as un-American as it gets.”
image source from：atlanta
