I am a U.S. citizen illegally deported to Somalia eight years ago. Despite my father’s U.S. naturalization and clear proof of my citizenship, I was torn from my family and my country. This is a violation of my rights — and I need your voice to bring me home.

My name is Abshir. I came to America as a refugee with my family, fleeing Somalia’s civil war. My father worked hard, built a life, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2007. Under U.S. law (8 U.S.C. § 1431, INA § 320), I automatically derived citizenship through him.

But in 2012, I was wrongfully detained at the Batavia Immigration Facility in New York for 14 months. Despite my father’s naturalization certificate and my eligibility for U.S. citizenship, I was treated as if I had no country.

In 2016, I was illegally deported to Somalia — the very place I had fled as a refugee. For the past eight years, I have struggled to survive in Mogadishu, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I have lived through bombings, terrorist attacks, and daily insecurity. I have been stripped of the protections guaranteed to me as an American citizen.

Meanwhile, my father has suffered two strokes, diabetes, and major surgery. His health is worsening. Every day we are kept apart is time stolen from both of us — and one day, it may be too late.

 
Facts & Statistics
This is not just my story. The U.S. government has a history of wrongfully detaining and deporting citizens:

Thousands of U.S. Citizens Targeted: From 2003–2010, ICE issued detainers on more than 20,000 U.S. citizens by mistake.
1% of Detainees Were Citizens: A 2011 study found that about 1% of ICE detainees were in fact U.S. citizens — people stripped of their rights due to government error.
Court Precedent Exists: Cases like Nur v. Holder, Ali v. DHS, and Jama v. Holder show Somali-Americans in similar situations were able to prove citizenship and challenge their wrongful deportation.
Constitutional Violation: Deporting a citizen is not just an error — it’s a direct violation of the Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment.
 
Why This Matters
This petition is not just about me. If ICE and DHS can deport one citizen, they can deport any citizen.

This is a constitutional crisis. It undermines the rule of law, destroys families, and erodes trust in government. Allowing wrongful deportations to stand sends the message that citizenship — the most fundamental right — can be ignored, denied, or erased.

 
What We Demand
We call for immediate action:

Recognition of my U.S. citizenship and immediate facilitation of my return home.
Action by DHS and federal courts to investigate and correct this wrongful deportation.
Intervention by Minnesota’s leaders — Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Governor Tim Walz, and my Congressional Representative  ILHAN OMAR— to reunite me with my family.
Accountability & reform within ICE and DHS so that no American citizen is ever wrongfully deported again.
 
Call to Action
This is a fight for justice, family, and the Constitution itself.

👉 Sign and share this petition with everyone you know.
👉 Tag decision-makers, civil rights groups, and journalists.
👉 Demand accountability and my safe return: Bring Abshir Home.