“`html
Syrian Asylum Seeker Detained in Arizona Faces Potential Deportation to Unknown Third Country, Labeled a Terrorist Suspect
A Syrian national, Kamel Maklad, has been held in an Arizona detention center for over two years, and now faces the possibility of deportation to a third country despite previously being granted withholding of removal by an immigration judge.The case highlights growing concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) shifting policies and the indefinite detention of asylum seekers.
Maklad initially fled the civil war in Syria and sought refuge in Venezuela, where he resided for a decade.After his work and residency permits expired, he traveled to the U.S. in 2023, surrendering to Border Patrol agents in Arizona to claim asylum. His journey has been marked by bureaucratic hurdles and a stunning reversal in his legal status.
According to reporting by Emily Bregel of the Arizona Daily Star, Maklad’s case took a dramatic turn when DHS, for the first time, labeled him a suspected terrorist.This accusation emerged despite no prior indication of such concerns throughout his legal proceedings, including the November 2024 hearing where he was granted withholding of removal – a form of protection awarded when an individual faces a credible threat to their life in their home country, and which carries a higher evidentiary threshold than asylum.
“He’s pretty confused about what the future holds for him at this point,” Bregel reported, summarizing Maklad’s state of mind.He has already endured a brief deportation attempt to Venezuela, which failed when Venezuelan officials refused to accept him, stating they had never agreed to receive him. He was returned to the U.S. within hours.
The sudden terrorism allegation has raised serious questions about the motivations behind Maklad’s continued detention. His attorneys, including luis Campos, argue the claim is a pretext for deportation. “The government attorney at that time could have said, ‘You, Honor, he’s not eligible for any relief because he’s a suspect terrorist,'” campos stated. “If they had the evidence…they would have made the argument.”
DHS has offered little clarity, responding to inquiries with a statement solely focused on the terrorism claim and ignoring questions about the failed deportation attempt to Venezuela. A DHS spokesperson would only speak on “deep background,” and a request for an on-the-record explanation was declined, a decision Bregel criticized as not serving the public interest.
Maklad’s mental health is rapidly deteriorating under the weight of indefinite detention. A volunteer who regularly visits detainees at Eloy,Arizona,expressed deep concern,noting he is “reaching the breaking point.” Maklad himself reportedly told Bregel, “I have no energy anymore. I have no desire to fight. I feel finished. They stole my time, my life.”
His legal team is now considering a habeas corpus petition, challenging the legality of his detention. They also fear DHS may move him to a more remote detention center, such as those in Louisiana, or locate a third country willing to accept him. While Maklad has expressed a willingness to accept deportation to avoid prolonged detention,stating he would “rather be incarcerated or even dead back in Syria,because at least he’d be with his family,” advocates are concerned that DHS is not adequately assessing the risks he would face in any potential third country.
The case raises broader concerns about the Trump governance’s efforts to identify countries willing to accept deport
