ACLU of Ohio Condemns Rapid Deportation of Bhutanese Refugee; Urges ICE to Allow Legal Process to Proceed

Columbus, OH – Mohan Karki, a Bhutanese Nepali refugee and Ohio resident, is scheduled to be deported on Tuesday, December 2, prior to his federal court hearing on his habeas corpus petition on December 3. Despite his still-pending immigration proceeding, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), just days ago, expedited an end-run around the legal process and scheduled the rapid deportation. ICE is also preventing Mr. Karki from completing necessary familial tasks and paperwork to help his family prepare for his rushed removal. Mr. Karki has been detained by ICE since April, and is currently held in the St. Clair County Jail in Port Huron, Michigan.

Mr. Karki has never even held his 5-month old daughter, born while he was in detention. ICE’s own directives dictate that ICE personnel must remain cognizant of the impact enforcement actions may have on a minor child(ren). Mr. Karki must sign paperwork for her so that she can obtain a passport for future reunification. Further, in ICE’s rush, Mr. Karki’s wife has not been informed of his removal itinerary - so she cannot coordinate travel arrangements to join him.

The ACLU of Ohio condemns ICE’s evasion of judicial oversight and its unnecessary and cruel weaponization of the legal process. We demand that immigration officials allow Mr. Karki to complete necessary legal paperwork and logistics with his family prior to his removal.

Statement from ACLU of Ohio Chief Legal Officer, Freda Levenson
“Mr. Karki’s unnecessarily expedited removal is yet another example of this administration’s cruel abuse of power in immigration enforcement. ICE’s job is to enforce the law, but too often it engages in performative displays of cruelty - and this is one of those times. ICE’s refusal to allow Mr. Karki even to arrange for future family reunification is callous and inhumane. Mr. Karki is an Ohio resident who has built a foundation and family within the United States - he deserves to be treated with basic dignity. The ACLU of Ohio stands in opposition to the rampant use of immigration enforcement to maximize suffering. We publicly urge ICE to allow Mr. Karki to make reunification plans with his family before he is rushed out of the United States.”