My dad, Shahid Qureshi, entered the US while working, March 13th, 1974. In 1974 our government issued him a social security number. He has always been a hard working, tax paying God fearing man. My parents married (my mom a local to Georgia) a few years later and eventually had 3 three children together. We lost my older brother in 2008, he passed away at 24 after an accident left him quadriplegic at 21. And now I feel like I’ve lost my dad too.

Many people always ask- well if your dad was here this long, why didn’t he become a citizen? My dads story is a little complicated. In the late 1980s a government official, James Waller, made untrue statements in an immigration hearing. These statements led to an order of deportation against him. My dad's attorney filed via the Freedom of Information Act 3 times to obtain his full immigration file to prepare his defense in the upcoming immigration hearing. But he never received his full file. The papers he needed to defend himself were missing. His attorney was requested by the government to identify what exactly in the file he was requesting. The attorney described the documents needed and was told those documents did not exist. The papers he needed continued to be missing throughout the correspondences between the attorney and government. Documents had been removed from his immigration file illegally. The 4th time my dad filed under the Freedom of Information Act, with a new lawyer, to obtain any documents pertaining to my father - this lawyer filed with drug enforcement agency and US customs. This fourth attempt was successful. When these documents were finally  received, the damage had already been done, and order of deportation had been issued. The BIA threw out the statements against my dad, years later, and vacated the one order of removal, but ruled in favor of the government on overstaying in the US. 

My dad became a member of a class action lawsuit against INS under the legalization program in 1994, and it went to federal court, appeals court and then Supreme Court and finally won about years later. This made him eligible to file for LIFE Act. He filed via the LIFE Act to get his pathway to citizenship back on track, and when he finally got a response, INS denied him, using the information that had been vacated from my fathers immigration file. Therefore, he lost the opportunity to rectify his legal status, even though he was fully eligible and deserving. 

Because of James Wallers’ untrue statements, my father wasted 20 years of his life and countless money having to defend himself against these statements. Ultimately, costing my dad his chance at US Citizenship and under Trumps Zero Tolerance, my dad was detained at his regular immigration check in and deported in less than 2 weeks without being allowed to see a Judge. My dad had a valid work permit until the end of 2018. My dad was a a taxing paying contributing member of society in the US for 44 years when this happened. When deported, ICE took my fathers work permit, social security card and  GA drivers license out of his wallet and only left his TWIC card. 

My father was a Boilermaker by trade and had clearances to work in nuclear facilities my entire life. Above that, my father is a wonderful man, a prime example of what a true American is. He has so many letters of character written by people who have known him in the USA, to show his character.  My father has always complied with immigration and never missed a check in. He has always maintained a valid work permit and drivers license. He was a contributing member of society.

On May 4th, 2018 when my dad went to Atlanta, Ga for his routine check in, he was detained and deported within 12 days. He didn’t even get to see a judge, even though he had tried to show his ICE agent Supervisor Mason, all the documents pertained to my his situation. He threatened to arrest him. All my dad needed was to be given a waiver, that he was eligible for, to have his situation rectified. My dad (who is NOT a felon) was deported with a  bar from returning to US soil.

My dad is now a 75 year old heart patient with stints and has a bad back. He is in Pakistan without medical insurance and  he loses electricity for multiple hours everyday. My children were 8 and 10 when he was deported, are devastated.  They are teenagers now and my daughter has only seen her Poppa once since the deportation, my son twice. 

This was a senseless deportation, my dad should have been a citizen a long time ago. My heart is broken and a fear I will never see my dad again. 44 years he paid US taxes and now our government has turned off his benefits. Deported him and robbed him of his hard earned money. It’s so unfair.

My dads social security benefits that he rightfully earned were shut off when he was deported. Currently, the US social administration owes my father over $175,000!

Please help bring my father back to where he belongs. I’ve cried everyday. We have to have a check and balance system to these mass deportations. Ken Amaro from First Coast News demanded the director in Atlanta of ICE to investigate my father's situation, and instead they quickly deported him. Please help my family. I am a US citizen and was raised to be a proud American. My father Shahid Qureshi deserves an investigation into his situation at the very least.

A few months after my dad was deported, the I130 I filed before his deportation, was approved. I received a letter stating the NVC was ready to interview my father on US Soil. It was a sick joke because my dad could not return to the US for the interview. This should of rectified his legal status and again got him on a pathway to citizenship. I have continued to keep my I130 open, and recently received notice that again my application has been approved and they have accepted all documents and we are currently waiting to hear when my fathers Interview date is with the US consulate in Islamabad, Pakistan. I am begging our government to help speed us this interview process and help bring my father back to the US with his family. Life is short- we have already missed too much. 

Please help bring my dad home! https://www.gofundme.com/bring-shahid-qureshi-home