He has a work permit, a coffee shop – and an ICE ankle monitor: ‘Is this America?’
Business owner Assim Alkhawaja was arrested by ICE as he dropped off Lyft passengers at a military base. Now he’s stuck in a terrifying fight to stay in the US Deep within the bowels of San Diego’s federal courthouse, Assim Alkhawaja sat on the floor outside a nondescript office, waiting to be called for his ICE-mandated immigration appointment. He stared straight ahead, his posture tense, his…
Assim Alkhawaja, a 53-year-old business owner from Saudi Arabia, was recently arrested by ICE while dropping off Lyft passengers at Camp Pendleton, a military base in San Diego county. Alkhawaja, who owns a coffee shop called Sands Coffee Roasters, has a valid work permit and is currently fighting for his right to remain in the United States.
Despite his qualifications, education, and legal status, ICE placed an ankle monitor on him, marking him as high-risk for parole violations. Alkhawaja must now report to an immigration office regularly, causing him to question whether this is America. The arrest and detention of Alkhawaja and others like him come in the wake of numerous ICE raids across the country, leaving many immigrants in a legal limbo, facing constant monitoring and potentially facing deportation.
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