Samiha, Ferdousha, Simran holding a picture with Balbu
Oct. 10, 2017 By Tara Law
Two teenage girls from Sunnyside begged President Trump to stop their father’s deportation at a press conference in Jackson Heights this morning.
The girls, Simran Sharif, 18, and Samiha Sharif, 14, are high school students and American citizens. Their father, Bablu Sharif, is a Bangladeshi immigrant who has lived in the United States since 1992.
Bablu, who overstayed his tourist visa, has had a standing deportation order against him since 1999, but since 2013 has had an “Order of Supervision,” which allowed him to gain a work permit and work legally.
In June, when he checked in with the Enforcement or Removal Operations (ERO) office to renew his permit as part of his annual check in, he was immediately detained by ICE.
Bablu, who lives with his family in Sunnyside, does not have a criminal record.
For the Sunnyside family, the press conference was a last resort, said Mazda A. Uddin, an activist who has worked closely with the family and the families of 10 other detainees. Since he was detained, Bablu has been transported by ICE to Louisiana and then to Arizona. Uddin said that the Sharifs have learned from lawyers that there is no other recourse to prevent Bablu’s deportation, and that he could be deported at any time.
The girls are academic strivers; Samiha, who attends Manhattan Hunter Science School, wants to become a lawyer, and Simran, who attends the Academy of Finance and Enterprise in LIC, dreams of becoming a doctor. The press conference took place at Smart Academia, a tutoring center in Jackson Heights where the girls study.
Their mother, Ferdousha, said that it has been particularly difficult for the girls as the school year has started. Samiha began high school this year, and Simran is in her final year of high school and is preparing to apply to college. The girls were brought to tears as they spoke about their father.
“I don’t want to go to school any more because my mom is crying all the time for my father,” Simran said. “I cry also, but I don’t want to cry in front of my sister… I want to study, but no matter how hard I try I cannot because I think all the time about my dad.”
Bablu, an Uber driver, is the family’s breadwinner. Ferdousha, who is also dealing with ICE, has health issues and is a homemaker. The girls worry about what will happen to their family.
“Who will take care of us if our father is deported?” said Samiha. “We are surviving with the help of some friends. Now, if my dad is deported, I don’t know how I’m going to survive. I don’t know how my future will look.”
The family was joined by local activists and Assembly Member Ron Kim, who represents Flushing.
“It doesn’t get any more American than this family. They came to this country in pursuit of a better life, a better future,” said Kim. “All of these immigrants who thought that they could trust the government and step forward, who filed for deferred deportation, are living in fear and they have to go back into the shadows.”
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23 Comments
This is just one case. But there are more than 13000 cases from that area alone in current year’s list for deportation. Nov and Dec will see a lot of action.
One thing that most illegals with families here do not realize is that if they turn themselves in, they have at least some chance of coming back legally. But if ICE picks them up, they are given a criminal charge and banned from future immigration and even visits!
Note: Next year will see record sweeps by ICE in NY and other sanctuary states. Accelerated deportation is now a primary KPI of ICE units nation wide. No more catch and release.
Difficult situation. I’d sure like these guys to clean up Roosevelt Ave. I’m sure there are tons of undocumented people who are human traffickers, drug dealers and criminals.
Hey M.A.R.D.S.P.S.L.— where are you from with a name like that ?
No compassione get out
This is a hard story. I get it that the dad was legally set for deportation. But, he does not have a criminal record. He entered the country legally. He overstayed. That’s a civil violation, not a crime. (If it were a crime, he would have had a jury trial. A civil violation is more like a speeding ticket–if speeding were a crime then we would all be criminals.)
What I wish we would do is look at what’s best for the US with THIS FAMILY. I don’t think that anyone objects to deporting drug dealers. But that’s not the case here. It seems to me that the two daughters will be a huge asset for this country. Dad can be too, as he was when he was working. Ripping apart a great family can’t be good for this country in the long term. And in the short term, deport dad and make a family of (now) 3 poverty-stricken. What would Jesus do here?
This country can aspire to be better. I bet Samiha and Simran will make us better. Give them a chance to do that, and show some compassion.
I work in East Flatbush were there is an actual treasure trove of undocumented, single men, from all races, with criminal records, not working or supporting anyone, and NOT being picked up by ICE. SO WHY THIS GUY? oh right, because he followed what he was supposed to do and attended his annual check-in to renew his permit. That’s callous and inhumane. Come get the guys out here. Leave the families alone!!!
so the fact that these girls are AMERICAN CITIZENS!! and have their father deported!!! ripped from their home!
it has everything to do with TRUMPITO!
He opened the gates to fill his quota with undocumented human beings who yes might have illegally came to this country but does not make him an illegal human being.
Obama let people like him become low priority for deportation so that criminals that are undocumented get deported first!
but criminals real criminals will be the last to get deported and instead law abiding individuals who have worked pay taxes and support their families and american born children will have to suffer bc of TRUMPITO!!
TRUMPITO’S WIFE COMMITTED IMMIGRATION FRAUD BY WORKING WHEN SHE WAS ON A TOURIST VISA LIKE WTF!!! GET ON THAT
Why does the family need to be separated? They can go back with their father and apply for visas legally like my spouse and everyone else.
Can you not read? The girls are American citizens.
It’s sad that we want to deport this guy, when Nazis can stay: http://jacksonheightspost.com/schumer-and-gillibrand-call-on-rex-tillerson-to-deport-former-nazi-guard-who-lives-in-jackson-heights
Incidentally, he DOES have a criminal record! An illegal immigrant is a criminal!!
This has nothing to do with President Trump!
This guy has is an illegal immigrant and he should be deported! If his daughters are so concerned about him, they can leave this country also! I shed no tears for illegal immigrants and their anchor children!
Trump is not ripping families apart! This man is an illegal immigrant and should be deported! If his daughters and wife are concerned about him, they can go with him!!!!
Enough is enough!!
Funny how you assume he is a criminal. If he was a criminal, why is his background check clear? Why would he attend every single hearing and pay all taxes and abide by every law. The violation he did was overstay. This is my father. We would gladly leave but I was born and raised in this country. I have every right to be here. It’s colonizers like you that don’t understand the struggles of minority groups.
This is horrible and the way Trump is ripping families apart. I deplore you trolls who are first to read and comment on these articles. You wouldn’t he saying this if it were your family. Illegal is your disregard for humanity.
Wendy, I didn’t know Trump was president in 1999 when these guy first received his deportation order
Thank you, Wendy. The subject of this article is an American who has been contributing to our society. All these ignoramuses don’t seem to grasp that. They are too dense or calloused to see our broken immigration system for what it is. I hope something like this happens to their families; perhaps then they’ll learn.
It’s not trumps fault that this guy is here illegally. Why should he be allowed to stay because he got away with this so long? That’s like saying a thief got away with stealing so long that now that he’s caught we should let him go. Terrible logic
The Law, sadly, is the Law
We are a Nation of Laws
I feel for them, but ….
Blink once ?
… blink a million times
Who decides ?
Contacts ? Money. ? Politics ?
My Godfather always said
” Stay in your lane … obey the Law “
I hope you get a speeding ticket every time you go 1 mph over the limit
They sound like nice people but you have to do things right. This is long overdue. No special treatment otherwise everybody expect it good for USA government USA! USA! USA!
don’t worry Danny Dromm and JVB will help all for money in their pockets – illegal is illegal –
Why are you anonymous. If you can say it show your name