jews d

in
the

Adat Shalom Synagogue is honored to welcome

Professor Eitan Fishbane

continued from page 15

Associate Professor of Jewish Thought
at the Jewish Theological Seminary

FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 20

6:00 p.m.

Shabbat-Appella

7:15 p.m.

Shabbat Dinner

8:00 p.m.

After Dinner Presentation
by Professor Eitan Fishbane:

The Mystical Meaning of Shabbat

Kids’ Activities

SHABBAT MORNING, APRIL 21

9:00 a.m.

Shabbat Morning Service

9:45 a.m.

Shabbat Torah Study with Dr. Melissa Ser

10:00 a.m. Soulful Yoga with Rabbi Rachel Shere

12:30 p.m. Professor Eitan Fishbane Will Lead
a Post- Kiddush Discussion:

Unleash the Power: Discovering
God in the Natural World

For information and dinner reservations,
call 248.851.5100 or register online
at: http://adatshalom.org/synergy

Our community partner:

16

April 12 • 2018

jn

and day out, put their lives on the
to allow repatriation of any but the
line to protect this community,” she
most recent arrivals.
adds.
“Over the decades, many Iraqi
Judge Goldsmith sided with the
nationals remained in the United
States with a formal order of remov- ACLU and the Iraqis. His order
staying removal has been in
al, but no actual prospect of
being removed,” she contin- ABOVE: A photo operation since June and has
of the reunited
given each of the detainees the
ues. “Most of these people
Hamama family,
chance to seek to reopen his
reported to Immigration
taken in early
or her immigration case. Many
and Customs Enforcement
February.
have won both reopening and
regularly and went about
the case itself and have been
their lives in the USA. They
granted asylum or won other pro-
raised families, built businesses,
tection against removal to Iraq. For
worked and paid taxes.”
others, the fight is continuing. Judge
On March 12, 2017, though, ICE
reported that Iraq agreed to accept a Goldsmith’s order will be reviewed
by the Court of Appeals this spring.
number of Iraqi nationals subject to
removal.
SAM’S STORY
According to Schlanger, Iraq
Hamama was picked up by ICE at
was one of the nations listed on
his home on Sunday morning, June
President Trump’s initial travel ban,
and the government of Iraq strongly
11, as he was getting dressed to take
objected. To get out of the travel
his daughter to her soccer team
ban, Iraq agreed to allow repatria-
banquet. The ICE agents allowed
tion of at least some Iraqis.
him to finish getting dressed, hand-
So, ICE arrested people like
cuffed him and took him away.
Usama (Sam) Hamama, who became
He’d been in the United States for
the lead plaintiff of those detained
a long time; the last time he was in
by ICE, in a case named Hamama vs. Iraq was 1974, when he was about
Adducci.
12 years old. Since then, he has mar-
But, Schlanger says, “There was no ried, raised four children, started
legitimate reason for ICE’s mad dash businesses here, paid his taxes and
to deportation; each of the folks
become a significant presence in his
they arrested deserved a chance to
church. His current business, a food
explain why their deportation was
service company, has 38 employees.
no longer lawful in light of current
But 30 years ago, he got into
law and current circumstances.”
trouble with the law. In a road rage
Rebecca Adducci, field office
incident, he displayed a gun. It
director for ICE Enforcement and
wasn’t loaded; no one was hurt, but
Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit,
he served part of a two-year prison
disagreed. “The operation in this
sentence.
region was specifically conducted to
Years later, the U.S. government
address the very real public safety
ruled that the offense qualified
threat represented by the criminal
him for deportation. In 2011, the
aliens arrested,” she says. “The vast
government began requiring him
majority of those arrested in the
to check in with immigration every
Detroit metropolitan area have very
year, which he did faithfully, until
serious felony convictions, multiple
he was arrested last June. His appli-
felony convictions in many cases.
cation for his immigration case to
“I applaud the efforts of the law
be reopened is still pending in the
enforcement personnel who, day in
immigration court.