A Kansas chemistry professor got his kids ready for school — then ICE arrested him on his front lawn

Have they no sense?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-chemistry-professor-ice-arrest-20180204-story.html

Been in the US almost always legally for 30 years but for a brief lapse between visas. A father of three and sole provider. Children in gifted program. Wife a kidney donor. He ran for the school board. Teaches at the local college. Advanced degrees in molecular biosciences and pharmaceutical engineering. Never been arrested. Does research in local hospitals.

This is what ICES considers a "bad hombre" that needs deporting. Did they target him because he's not Hispanic (Bangladesh) and they want some balance? Or perhaps they are targeting highly respected individuals because they want Congress to wake up and write some new laws?

A friend said she believes that Trump is the best thing to happen to the US. We had a band-aid of political correctness covering a rotten, festering segment of our society. Rather than just trying to treat the problem he ripped off the band-aid quickly to expose the darker elements and maybe now we'll address them more vigorously. Perhaps ICES has taken a page from that play book.

 

Now we can never enforce immigration law again ever.

Clearly this is the face of all illegal immigrants!

 

It’s a sad story but I think he needs to accept responsibility for the situation he put himself in. The article says his visa lapsed in 2011 and he wasn’t deported because of the policy of flexibility at the time but I think he should have sought to formalise his right to remain in the US at that point, one way or another. He certainly isn’t an example of a high priority target for ICE but that shouldn’t that render him entirely immune nor should having photogenic children or an academic career.

 

The problem is that once his student visa for his doctorate expired he became an illegal and his only recourse was to leave the US and wait 20 years and try again. If you have a family that's a tough thing to do. People make mistakes. For me the issue is that some people look at illegals as just that full stop. I tend to look at them as people first which allows for a little common sense to kick in.

It's why our legal system is founded on a trial by jury rather than a trial by experts.

 

In the end, this man will get his day in court.

However, I'm left wondering what brought this man to the attention of ICE. The article states he was required to check in on a regular basis with ICE. Did he fail to do that?

Bottom line, the law is the law. Those who are in conflict with it have some choices to make.

 

The student visa would have ended one way or another regardless so if his intention was to remain in the US long-term (which seems to have always been the case), shouldn’t he have really been looking in to how to legitimately do that much earlier? It’s not that I don’t have sympathy for the families situation and I appreciate how different these systems can be to work with but he’s clearly an intelligent man and in a much better position than most immigrants to do things correctly so I still think he is responsible for his situation due to the way in which he chose to work the system.

 

For all you know he did try but if he didn't have a job lined up then he was screwed.

 

My thought here is that his employers are as guilty of violating the law as our teacher is. This is a crime of enablement. Folks had to actively look the other way to continue employing this guy. I didn't seem much in the way of concern about that either in the article or comments here. I look at it as people gaming on purpose. 20years? As a student? Fun stuff here.

 

The reason these things happen is because the law has been ignored for decades.

 

No Luggs, he started on a student visa that continued through two advanced degrees. Then he got an H1B work visa but when he went back to work on a doctorate he switched back to a student visa. The article doesn't say why he failed to get a new H1B or other visa after failing at obtaining a doctorate. As to the employer, an assumption of citizenship is not uncommon. I hired a young lady once and had she not then presented me with her green card I would never have asked. She had come to the US at the age of 6. After having obtained three college diplomas and three kids I'd bet he seemed pretty American.

 

Which simply means that he was illegal. No H1B? No sponsor? Time to go. Tough, but it is the law.

 

Another temporary work permit wouldn’t be a way to legitimately stay long-term as was clearly his intention. To be honest, the only viable option I’m aware of would be seeking US citizenship though there may be others. As long as he (like many others) continued to rely on short-term and temporary measures to legally remain in the US, this kind of outcome was almost inevitable eventually.

 

To borrow from MLK, we live in a time of guided missiles and unguided men.

The US has its moral compass spinning, it is lost and wandering with no moral guidance.

 

Exactly - the exceptions MUST be the basis of all rules.

 

Another attempt to cover up stupidity with a veil of emmotion.


A student visa is meant to be temporary, not good for 30 years. I just cant believe that in 30 yeara this guy just never found the time to become legal.

 

Unfortunately dems think they get to choose what American laws should be enforced .

 

So do the Elephants think they get to choose what laws should be enforced. That is a bipartisan philosophy.

 

This, but unironically. ICE is full of the worst ****ing human beings on the planet, it's full of walking neck folds with something to prove that got rejected from not only the army, but also from the place where all of the army rejects go, The Real Police. They shouldn't be in charge of anything, let alone law enforcement.

 

Did he break the law?

 

And he hasn't applied for citizenship?

He needs to go.

Let your driver's license or auto insurance lapse and see what happens.

 

Yep. Having a family, being a professor, etc. does not exempt one from the law. Why did he not take steps to ensure that he was legal?

 

What a misguided post!! We lock up people all of the time who break the law, even if they are medical doctors who serve americans. A professional we cannot do without. For when you break our laws, and get caught, there are consequences. No matter who you are. It is the way a justice system and immigration system operate. What is causing you to be misguided and clueless to what the rule of law means? Is this what faux liberal thinking looks like? Well sir, it is devoid of rationality, in case no one else has tried to help you here. I am here to help! Helping to clear up cloudy, foggy minds is a good calling. Clarity of thought and rationality is sorely needed in these times we find ourselves in. If my own mind were to get foggy. critical thinking breaking down, I just lay off the cannabis oil for a few weeks so the fog goes away, and then control my intake as to not get there again. Try the Sour Alien oil, a hybrid oil, as it appears to not create a fogged up mind.

 

Try using someone else social security number and and if you're an American citizen you will be sent to prison.

 

If you come on a temporary visa, and meet someone else who's also on a temporary visa and marry her and start a family, you still have to leave.
Unless you feel that having children should automatically give the right to stay--but that's basically the definition of anchor babies right there.

 

Why didn't he just apply for citizenship?