"Humans have Values"

Be sure to read my column from The Western Tribune, which follows this.

Update: Mother and son released from detention , will not be deported.


Had a certain comment regarding Muslims not been posted on yesterdays blog, I probably wouldn't be writing this. But this blog believes that, yes, humans do have value. All humans. Yet comments continue to come in that slight Muslims, blacks, gays. (Some of those comments I refuse to post, some I post reluctantly, so I can counter).

But this isn't really about Muslims or religion at all. It's about respect and values. So yes, I would have posted this.

Imad Mohammad and his mother are facing deportation. Imad is a Spain Park High School grad, in college, but he and his mother are being held in a "detention center" (the quotes are because we know about the detention center in Etowah county) in Louisiana.

"Why?" You ask.

His father, mother and he came to this country, it seems, in 1993, fleeing civil war in Lebanon. Imad, 18 now, must have been around 2 years old. They were ordered to leave the country in 2001. Being Palestinian, they don't really have anywhere to go. They were picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for still being here.



Imad's father, Mohammad Mohammad was released so he could care for his other five children, who are all U. S. citizens.

Why did they flee to the United States? "Here, humans have values. That's why I came here," Imad's father said.

But isn't it sad when a father has to speak to his son by phone and apologizes for bringing him here. I mean, this kid has had all the opportunity in the world. His high school English teacher said, " I'm not exaggerating when I say that he is among the top, top students I've ever taught or expect to teach."

He was the track captain at Spain Park. What seemed like a promising future now seems bleak.

Of course laws are laws and immigration laws are no different. But immigration laws are ignored about 12 million times, so why pick the brightest kid around to make an example out of?

Thursday is the deadline set by a federal judge for the feds to show just cause for holding the mother and son.

In a story in The Shelby County Reporter Imad had this to say, "I’m holding up the best I can. I don’t want to break down because my family will break down too. If I start complaining and crying then my dad is going to start getting more antsy. If I’m strong, they’re strong."

After this experience Imad wants to become an immigration attorney. Well, if he gets to stay.

We will see tomorrow whether that "values" thing holds true in this country. We're pulling for you, Imad.