American-Latino Immigrants Proudly Assisting the Community

Johnson-Castro, of Del Rio, said he was outraged to learn from news reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the members of a Jordanian family from their Richardson home and placed them in jail in Haskell where they have been detained for more than 100 days without an explanation from the government.

A federal judge in Dallas Friday ordered the governmental parties involved, including the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, submit in writing by March 9 an explanation of why five members of the Hazahza family are being held at the Rolling Plains Regional Jail and Detention Facility in Haskell.

In protest of what has happened to the Hazahza family - who allege harassment by other inmates, lack of medical care and inhumane conditions - Johnson-Castro is walking from Abilene to the jail in Haskell.

He began his journey 9 a.m. Wednesday on his way to Hawley and will continue Thursday to Anson on U.S. 277. He plans to arrive in Haskell Saturday in time for an afternoon vigil at the jail.

Johnson-Castro, who has gained media attention with his protests of the federal government's plans to build 700 miles of extra fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, says he wants freedom for the Hazahza family.

On Feb. 21, Josh Bardavid, a New York-based lawyer who has an immigration practice, filed a writ of habeas corpus in the U. S. District Court in Dallas on behalf of the Hazahza family.

The writ sought the release of Radi Hazahza, 56, and the release of his four children: Mirvat, 24, Hisham, 23, Suzan, 19, Ahmad, 18, who are all in custody at the Haskell facility that houses immigration detainees. They have been in custody since Nov. 2 on suspicion of immigration violations.

According to court documents, the family was detained during a late night armed raid conducted by ICE.

Nazmeih Juma, wife of Radi Hazahza, and her son Mohammed Hazahza, 11, were jailed at the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor but were released Feb. 6.

Court documents show government officials issued a notice of continued detention Feb. 12, contending the family would remain in detention as the government made efforts to obtain travel documents from Israel.

Under the law, the government has 90 days from the order of removal to detain and remove individuals from the country. The Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that anything beyond 180 days is ''presumptively unreasonable.''

The family came to the U.S. legally in 2001 from Jordan; however, the Jordanian government doesn't recognize the Hazahzas as citizens. Before their visas expired, they requested political asylum in the U.S. Court documents show that Radi Hazahza was ''accused by militant factions within Palestinian society of being an Israeli collaborator.''

After two years of legal wrangling in the Immigration Court, the Hazahza family was ordered to be deported from the country. But it wasn't until July 2005 that a warrant of removal/deportation was issued by ICE.

Bardavid said his clients were never notified of such a warrant and maintains the family was not in hiding. He argues the government's action in this matter ''has been unwarranted and egregious'' and that continued detention is unlawful.

Bardavid said he believes the family fell victim to ''some sort of disconnect in the bureaucracy of immigration.''

''Anytime they were asked to do anything, they complied,'' he said.

Bardavid admits the government's actions were legitimate, but he adds, ''There needs to be a differentiation between absconders and people who simply cannot be removed.''

He said U.S. officials have extreme difficulty in obtaining travel documents from countries such as Jordan and Palestine.

What is a writ of habeas corpus?

Prisoners often seek release by filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. A writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate to a prison official ordering that an inmate be brought to the court so it can be determined whether that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether he or she should be released from custody. A habeas corpus petition is a petition filed with a court by a person who objects to his own or another's detention or imprisonment.

Source: www.lectlaw.com

Allegations of mistreatment

According to the petition filed on behalf of the Hazahza family, the following allegations have been documented:

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