Saad Nabeel’s story – deported to Bangladesh, fighting to come home
(Listen to Saad tell his story of being deported here and check out the Facebook support group here.)
I came to the United States with my family in 1994 when I was 3 years old. I remember it as the only home that I know. We decided to come to the US after being threatened by the government and political parties in Bangladesh, as my father was involved in politics.
My mother and I were deported in January of 2010. My father came in February. We were deported because ICE decided not to give us another extension to stay in America and collect our green cards that had already been approved.
At this point, my education is the most important things in the world to me – I fought hard to achieve in school, earning a full scholarship by working day and night. One important value that I live by is “if you can dream it, you can do it.” That is why I have gotten as far as I have in my battle to return home to the United States and go back to college.
If I had gotten my legal status as I was promised, then I would be on my way to becoming a successful electrical engineer. My goal was to attend Stanford University and make something of myself. I have always found the fields of physics interesting. I want to contribute to the knowledge of how the universe works. I think theoretical physics is an incredible field to study, and ultimately, I dream of winning the Nobel Prize in physics.
Being deported gives you the feeling that death would be a better substitute than living out life. It frustrates me because I was never “illegal.” My family just fell out of legal status. We have paid taxes every year, we have Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and more. The government approved our green cards and yet I am unable to get mine due to a 10-year bar that was questionably placed on my name.
Obviously I feel American. I am a foreigner to Bangladesh. Everything I know, do, and say is American in every way. America is the only home that I know. Now I am forced to live in an alien land where I do not know the language or culture. I am disappointed that the country that I love could have done this to me and my family.
My father has had severe asthma since he was a child. He is not able to get the proper medication prescribed by the doctor here in Bangladesh. He also has sleep apnea and is at high risk of stroke due to the fact that his breathing equipment here does not work. Even if it did, the frequent power outages could at any time cause his oxygen mask to suffocate him.
People who are against immigration should put themselves in my shoes. Think about growing up your entire life in America, and then all of a sudden being deported to a land where you know no one and have no ties to. Picture a place where you do not know the language, are forced to stay without of electricity for 9 hours a day, forced to stay inside because you are afraid to go outside.
Picture having your parents stay bed ridden for days because they cannot get the medicine they had back in America. People should remember that America was founded by immigrants. If it had not been for immigrants, America would not exist.
