A Houston immigration court judge has ordered the removal of Marwan Marouf, a well-respected community leader from Dallas, to Jordan. The decision marks the end of Marouf's immigration case and is the 60th day he has spent in detention at the Bluebonnet Detention Center.
Judge Abdias E. Tida made the ruling after deliberating for just 30 minutes and hearing hours of testimony. He denied Marouf's request to voluntarily depart from the United States, citing the government's charges that Marouf was involved in terrorist activities as grounds for his removal.
However, Marouf's lawyers argue that he is innocent of these claims and that the government has made a concerted effort to discredit him. "We know without a doubt that Brother Marwan's case is winnable, truly, on the merits," said Noor Wadi, a friend and lawyer of Marouf's. "He is a man who has always complied with immigration law, and this whole case is conjecture."
The government had previously accused Marouf of overstaying his visa and soliciting funds for a terrorist organization while volunteering for the Holy Land Foundation in the 1990s. However, Marouf's lawyers deny all these claims.
Despite his deteriorating health due to multiple life-threatening medical conditions, including Brugada syndrome, Marouf had initially sought a post-conclusion voluntary departure to leave the country and reapply for entry in a set period of time at his own expense. The government ultimately agreed that he should be eligible, but asked the judge to deny his request.
Marwans's family and friends describe him as "a man who has always complied with immigration law" and who is being targeted by the government due to his Muslim faith. His lawyer, Marium Uddin, stated, "Marwan accepted a removal order not as an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing but as a decision born of impossible circumstances imposed by a system that has failed him at every turn."
The community is in shock over this ruling, and many are calling it a cautionary tale about the dangers of systemic failure and targeted persecution. As one activist stated, "We will not abandon our people... We will continue to fight for him and for all those facing unjust exile and wrongful incarceration."
Judge Abdias E. Tida made the ruling after deliberating for just 30 minutes and hearing hours of testimony. He denied Marouf's request to voluntarily depart from the United States, citing the government's charges that Marouf was involved in terrorist activities as grounds for his removal.
However, Marouf's lawyers argue that he is innocent of these claims and that the government has made a concerted effort to discredit him. "We know without a doubt that Brother Marwan's case is winnable, truly, on the merits," said Noor Wadi, a friend and lawyer of Marouf's. "He is a man who has always complied with immigration law, and this whole case is conjecture."
The government had previously accused Marouf of overstaying his visa and soliciting funds for a terrorist organization while volunteering for the Holy Land Foundation in the 1990s. However, Marouf's lawyers deny all these claims.
Despite his deteriorating health due to multiple life-threatening medical conditions, including Brugada syndrome, Marouf had initially sought a post-conclusion voluntary departure to leave the country and reapply for entry in a set period of time at his own expense. The government ultimately agreed that he should be eligible, but asked the judge to deny his request.
Marwans's family and friends describe him as "a man who has always complied with immigration law" and who is being targeted by the government due to his Muslim faith. His lawyer, Marium Uddin, stated, "Marwan accepted a removal order not as an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing but as a decision born of impossible circumstances imposed by a system that has failed him at every turn."
The community is in shock over this ruling, and many are calling it a cautionary tale about the dangers of systemic failure and targeted persecution. As one activist stated, "We will not abandon our people... We will continue to fight for him and for all those facing unjust exile and wrongful incarceration."
This ruling is a disturbing example of how an individual's faith can be misinterpreted as evidence of wrongdoing. Marwan Marouf's situation highlights the need for more nuanced understanding of intersectionality in immigration cases, where an individual's cultural background and identity can be conflated with alleged crimes. 
It's alarming that his medical conditions weren't given sufficient weight, considering he'd be facing detention and deportation even if he couldn't leave the country. The government's tactics seem to prioritize ideology over evidence, leaving many to wonder about the systemic issues at play here. 
marwan marouf was just trying to live his life and volunteer in the holy land foundation 
but now he's gonna be sent back to jordan because of false accusations? it's like, what even is brugada syndrome anyway? seems like a pretty serious health issue to me... and the government's just using this as an excuse to target people from certain backgrounds 
marwan's lawyer saying that the system has failed him at every turn kinda resonates with me, feels like we need some real change in how we handle immigration cases...
i mean, he's a respected community leader and all that, but the gov't is just dragging it out and trying to push him back out of here. like, brugada syndrome? multiple life-threatening conditions? shouldn't they be helping him stay in the us instead of trying to deport him? anyway, its just another example of how unfair the immigration system can be 
, like this guy's cat is trying to "help" him do his taxes but keeps getting in the way... anyway, back to Marwan Marouf... 60 days in detention? that's crazy 
. I mean, I know he's a respected community leader and all, but Brugada syndrome? 
poor dude. I hope he gets out of there soon and can get the medical help he needs.
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. It's like they're taking advantage of him being vulnerable 
. I'm not buying all these conspiracy theories, but at the same time, I do think there's something fishy going on here 
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. Marwan's case is a perfect example of how the system can fail someone, and it needs to be held accountable 
. We need to keep pushing for justice and human rights 
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can't believe these so-called "judges" think they can just make life-or-death decisions without a shred of evidence 
Marouf's been holding it together with multiple life-threatening conditions, meanwhile this judge gets to make his day 
. and now he's being sent back to a country that's already shown its "hospitality" 
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. And now he's going to be stuck in Jordan because of it? That's just harsh. What if this sets a precedent for other people who are Muslim or from certain communities? It's like, what even is going on here? 
I don't know much about immigration law, but it seems like the gov is trying to pin some serious charges on him without solid proof 
But if Marwan is innocent, then it's all just a huge mistake. I'm not buying that the government would do this to someone without solid proof. It reeks of bias and discrimination.
. It's not right that his health issues are being used to keep him in detention - poor dude is literally living on borrowed time 
️. The government can't just deny someone's human rights like this without consequences - we need to hold them accountable! 
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. His lawyers are right, there's no concrete evidence against him 
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. We have to stand up for what's right and fight for justice 
. The community is speaking out, and that's a start 
I mean, I know the government has its 'due process' thingy, but can't they just have a decent trial for once? This whole thing reeks of witch hunt and profiling – all because Marwan's a Muslim community leader. 
His lawyers are totally right; this case is about systemic failure, not terrorism. When will we learn to distinguish between a good guy and a bad guy? 
. We need to stand up for Marwan and others like him who are being unfairly targeted. The fact that he was in detention for 60 days already is just heartbreaking 
and now this government is just piling on more. it's crazy that they're using the terrorist thing as an excuse, there has to be more to it than that 
but it sounds like a total stretch to me. And on top of all this, Marwan's health issues are super serious