New Haven Independent

About 50 people protested for the second time last Friday the arrest of Said Zaim-Sassi, a longtime Wallingford resident and native of Morocco who was arrested on Aug. 20 after agents of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency raided his home at 5 a.m. This, despite the fact that his family members said he had stayed in touch with ICE officials and was trying hard to resolve problems with his immigration status so he could stay in the U.S. with his wife and three young children (all four American citizens) and become a citizen himself.

ICE officials said Zaim-Sassi he committed marriage fraud years ago by marrying an American in hopes of staying in the country. (His brother, Yusef, said Said denies the charge.)

After rallying during morning rush hour in front of the immigration court at Hartford’s federal building, the 50 participants walked several blocks to Lieberman’s office, leafletting passersby along the way. (Pictured are three reading the flyers.)

And pictured here is the content of the flyer, a letter from Said’s 7-year-old daughter.

They hoped to meet with someone from the office to discuss Zaim-Sassi’s case, after getting no response to several phone calls and letters. They leafleted passersby. When family members surprised Lieberman at the school later that morning (with a WTNH camera rolling; click here to see the news story), the senator said he would look into it, but cautioned that the allegation of marriage fraud was a serious one. “The question is whether within the law there’s any element for mercy here,” he said, “or if immigration service feels he committed a fraud against immigration by coming and then marrying an American to stay if they have to punish him to make a point.”

Yusef, one of many longtime New Haven residents in the large family (pictured, in green shirt along with his brother, Othmane, foreground), was pleased but cautious about Lieberman’s response. “I think he may leave some doors open; he said he would get back to us. He has a lot of power to do whatever he wants to. I think we’ll have to wait ‘til Wednesday, because if nothing happens by then it won’t happen. We’re asking people to contact Sen. Lieberman to reinforce what he said at our meeting. We don’t want the momentum to die.” Reached on Sunday evening, Yusef said he’d just returned from visiting his brother in a federal detention facility in Rhode Island. “He’s strong,” he said, adding that his brother has no information on when or if he’ll be deported. “He’s waiting, and that’s all you can do.”

“The final order of removal was issued by an immigration judge, following due process,” said ICE spokesman Michael Gilhooly on Tuesday. “All due process in the case has expired, and the individual has no more appeals, and we’ll remove him from the country as expeditiously as possible.” He declined to discuss a time frame, but said it’s informed by a number of reasons, “not the least of which is security.”

During Friday’s rally, Zaim-Sassi’s sister-in-law, Meriem Lahnin (pictured at top of this story), passionately addressed the crowd about the interconnectedness of members of the human family. Click here to listen. In an interview later, she emphasized the negative impact his arrest has had on his children, ages 2, 4 and 7. She said that even though the children witnessed the arrest at their home and saw their father taken away, the family has told them that their dad had an emergency at work and his colleagues came to get him. She said if he’s actually deported, they’ll probably tell the children that their dad is working for awhile far away. Under U.S. immigration law, he would not be allowed back in the country for many years, if at all.

The Latino immigrant activist community was well represented at the first, larger rally on Zaim-Sassi’s behalf on Aug. 24 and had a presence again on Friday. Click here to listen to John Jairo Lugo (pictured, holding one end of the Stop the Raids Now! banner), a leader of Unidad Latina en Acción, explain why he’s gone to Hartford the past two Fridays.

Yusef said he had been a little involved in supporting the Latino immigrants who were arrested in early June and their families. Now that his brother’s been arrested and could be deported any minute, he said, “It’s hit home. It’s traumatic and very personal.”

Frank O’Gorman of Hartford has been a visible presence at the immigrant rights rallies. A member of Queers Without Borders, he was waving the rainbow flag (with American stars) that he said represents the diversity and unity of all people. He said he’s never been made to feel unwelcome at any events that aren’t specifically gay rights-focused. Click here to hear more.

As the rally ended, several New Haven area supporters with years of organizing experience suggested various continuing actions on behalf of Zaim-Sassi. (Pictured left to right: Khalil Iskarous, who helped organize the last two rallies; Othmane; Henry Lowendorf, chair of the Greater New Haven Peace Council, and Lugo.) Suggestions included urging everyone to write letters to the editor of the major newspapers in the state, trying to enlist the support of local unions, since Zaim-Sassi worked at Metro-North Railroad in a union job, and going to the office of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who represents the part of Wallingford where Zaim-Sassi’s family lives, and who, the family said, has not responded yet to their requests for help.

Iskarous said early Tuesday afternoon that the consul general of Morocco in New York City has written letters to Senators Lieberman and Dodd and Congresswoman DeLauro suggesting that “mercy should be applied in this case” and urging them to act on behalf of Zaim-Sassi.