Legal resident faces deportation

HOUSTON

Imam Zoubir Bouchikhi is being held at a local immigration detention center. He is scheduled to be deported this Tuesday. And he might have to leave without packing his belongings or saying goodbye to his children.

"All these people are being mean, and we want him back. What did he even do? He didn't do anything," said his 9-year-old daughter, Bushra.

Bushra is trying to understand why her dad was taken away from her and her family. In school, she tells me she's learning about the Bill of Rights and freedom.

"I know that my dad is not a citizen, but he came here to help us," she said.

Bouchikhi is a teacher and Islamic scholar. He is not an extremist. In fact, he is an anti-war activist who preaches peace, tolerance and women's rights. In 2003, he applied for permanent residency to stay in America as a religious minister. His application was initially approved but revoked four years later by the government, without reason.

"They questioned him, how do we know that you are qualified to be a religious teacher?" said Ali Khalili, who's heading a coalition to free Bouchikhi.

Bouchikhi was detained for five months.

"In my opinion, this is a clear witch hunt. He has been targeted," Khalili said. "It makes absolutely no sense."

The religious leader's detention fueled rallies and letter writing campaigns, even catching the ear of Washington lawmakers. But it wasn't enough.

"They showed up here in the driveway on January 11 and picked him up," said his wife, Mounira Belhacel.

Last week, Bouchikhi was taken again from his home. The government told his attorney they had evidence he wouldn't leave the country on his scheduled deportation date. When attorneys pressed about the evidence, the government's response: "We're not at liberty to say."

Of his four children, three are U.S> citizens. His wife doesn't work, and if her husband is deported to his home country, Algeria, she says they'll all be forced to go.

"I want to go to college here. I want to finish the rest of my life here. This is all I know," said Bouchikhi's son, Ilies.

For now, the children visit dad from behind a glass window, from where the boys are promising to deliver on his messages.

"If we're strong, then he will be strong," said his other son, El-Farouq Bouchikhi.

Bouchikhi's attorney, Brian Bates, has filed an appeal with the 5th Circuit.

Old immigration law used to keep petitioners here while they waited for the result of that appeal. That's not the case anymore.

It's entirely possible that he be deported then eventually allowed to come back into the U.S. if they win the appeal. But that's rare and very complicated.

The family hopes their case will be the exception.