Take Action on behalf of Disabled U.S. Army Veteran
On January 12, an immigration judge refused to stay the deportation of U.S. Army veteran Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry to his native Pakistan.. Watch the video about Zahid and go here to send faxes to the Department of Homeland Security as well as Zahid’s Washington state Senators to demand a stay on his deportation.
More information about Zahid:
Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a disabled veteran, is a lawful resident of the United States. He uses a wheelchair due to injuries he received on active duty prior to his deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He filed an application to become a U.S. citizen under the military naturalization program in 2004, which requires the U.S. government to provide expedited processing for citizenship applications for individuals in the armed forces.
Notwithstanding his honorable service and over two dozen letters of recommendation from members of the Yakima community attesting to his positive character, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“U.S.C.I.S.”), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, denied the application on August 19, 2009. To qualify for naturalization, a military veteran must establish that he is attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and has been a person of good moral character for one year prior to the date of the application. The U.S.C.I.S. denial states that Zahid could not establish good moral character because when he received his residency in 2001, he failed to disclose thirteen year old misdemeanor convictions from when he was living in Australia.
Zahid disclosed the convictions in his naturalization application and explained the circumstances surrounding the offenses, for which he served no jail time and was never even arrested. The police officers at the time compared the offense to a parking ticket and assured him that the charges were not on his record. His spouse Ann Chaudhry, a United States citizen, was shocked by U.S.C.I.S.’s denial. “The way they have treated my husband is unbelievable and outrageous,” she said. “The whole experience has been emotionally devastating for both of us.”
Over two dozen members of the Yakima community submitted sworn statements in support of Zahid’s case, including a former adjudicator for U.S.C.I.S., who stated that she “knew some of the particulars of Zahid’s case,” and “highly recommend[s] that his application for U.S. citizenship be granted and processed to completion.” “We believe that Zahid’s honorable military service record speaks for itself,” said Muhammad’s attorney, Devin Theriot-Orr of the Seattle firm of Gibbs Houston Pauw. “Muhammad is a person of exemplary character who has already given so much to the country that he loves.”
