Detroit Free Press: Ann Arbor illegal immigrant jailed after protest at Sen. McCain's office

[marmar]

Posted: 3:04 p.m. May 18, 2010
Ann Arbor illegal immigrant jailed after protest at Sen. McCain's office

BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER


A Muslim illegal immigrant from Ann Arbor who fears deportation to Iran because he is gay, is in jail today after leading a sit-in protest Monday inside the office of Sen. John McCain over Arizona's new immigration law. Tonight in Detroit, a vigil for him is to be held in Clark Park.

Mohammad Abdollahi, 24, of Ann Arbor was one of a group of protesters who were arrested Monday at the Tuscon, Ariz., offices of McCain after trespassing and sitting in the office in protest of the Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants, according to activist and social media sites. He could now face deportation proceedings.

Abdollahi is an illegal immigrant who moved to the U.S. with his family when he was young. Now openly gay, he says he fears deportation back to Iran because of that country's stringent laws against homosexuality, which call for execution in some cases.

Abdollahi and the other protesters are calling for passage of the DREAM Act, a congressional bill that would reform the nation's immigration laws. The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks after Arizona enacted strict new policies to crack down on the growing population of illegal immigrants. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20100518/NEWS06/100518053/1318/Ann-Arbor-illegal-immigrant-jailed-after-protest-at-Sen.-McCains-office?GID=qP4GF2iFPCMXjClHB7F+TnX6sisLgYEsyxXi55eGBU0%3D