Loved ones are rallying together to help a Southern California father who was detained by immigration officials, leaving his pregnant wife and two children alone.
Moe Rahman, 34, lives in Orange County and has been married to his wife for 10 years. He was born in Bangladesh and his family moved to the U.S. when he was 4 years old.
His family arrived on a visitor’s visa, and they were also seeking asylum from their home country due to political turmoil. In 1997, his family was ordered to be deported. They filed an appeal, but were unsuccessful, and in 2008, they were detained by officials.
After fighting to stay in the U.S., they were released under supervision with required routine check-ins with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Over the years, Rahman has attended every check-in appointment. He had been working with a lawyer for years to obtain legal status.
On May 7, Rahman had a routine check-in appointment in Santa Ana. However, instead of receiving an update on his immigration case, he was detained by ICE and transferred to a facility in Adelanto.
“That was probably the worst day of my life,” Ashanti Minor, Rahman’s wife, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “I felt so helpless. We thought it was a very small possibility that he would be detained because he has no criminal record and we were actively trying to adjust his status.”
Now, the young father is facing possible deportation. Friends and community members are rallying together to find a solution.
“I don’t have any life there,” Rahman said of his birth country. “There’s no home for me, no family. I don’t speak the language. I don’t read it or write it, so I’d be going back to nothing.”
Rahman’s friend, Juan Atachagua, said the young father was reportedly never notified of his rights when they handcuffed him and took his cellphone and personal belongings away.
“The treatment, unfortunately, is that we’re looked at as criminals, which is unfortunate because immigrants aren’t criminals,” Rahman said. “We’re just here to adjust our status.”
“He’s dependable, lovable and he’s a family guy,” said Sahar Ghaemi, Rahman’s childhood friend. “To see him go through something like this is devastating and frustrating.”
Some of Rahman’s family members were able to obtain legal status, so Rahman is hopeful he can get his case sorted out without facing deportation.
Minor, who is pregnant and has been left caring for her two children since her husband’s detainment, said she’s frustrated and scared about the future.
Having to uproot her entire family to a foreign country that they know nothing about is her biggest fear.
“This is just as much my country as it is his,” Minor said. “We’ve been here the same amount of time.”
Rahman’s lawyer said they have filed a request for an emergency stay and are awaiting a response from the Board of Immigration Appeals.
KTLA reached out to ICE officials for details or comment on Rahman’s case, but was told they have no updates to share at this time.
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