In the early morning hours of Monday, July 27, after dropping his two youngest children off at daycare, Amat Jaho, known to friends and loved ones as Armand, was ambushed and detained by ICE. In an instant, his family's life was shattered.

Anyone who knows Amat knows he is a man of true integrity, someone who gives endlessly to his family and his community. To understand the weight of his absence, you have to understand how many people depend on him.

Amat is the devoted owner of four successful businesses in the beauty industry, which together support more than 80 employees and, by extension, their families. He houses and cares for his elderly mother, who lives with chronic health conditions. Most of all, he provides tirelessly for his six children: Azara, 1; Ander, 3; Jace, 13; Johnny, 15; Gray, 19; and Trinity, 27. His children are his world, and there is nothing he wouldn't do to give them the best possible life.

Amat's son Jace was diagnosed with severe, nonverbal autism at age two. He was recently diagnosed with epilepsy as well, and is now in a state of severe behavioral crisis that demands significantly more care, accommodation, and medical attention. Amat has been a constant, essential presence in meeting Jace's daily needs, providing the financial and hands-on support behind his therapies, specialists, and life-sustaining treatment. That support is now in jeopardy.

In 1990, Amat fled political persecution from the communist dictatorship in his home country of Albania and was granted asylum here in the United States. In 1998, Amat made a mistake that complicated his status, which he has been fighting to rectify ever since.

Since then, Amat has done everything asked of him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He currently has a pending pardon application with the Office of the Pardon Attorney. He has complied with every government request and has not been required to check in with immigration authorities in over five years. He has built his life, his businesses, and his family in this country in good faith.

We are calling on the Office of the Pardon Attorney to expedite review of Amat's pending pardon application and grant it without further delay — and we ask that ICE continue to defer his removal while that review takes place. Amat is the rock of his family and a foundation of his community. Every day of delay falls hardest on his children, his employees, and everyone who depends on him.

By signing this petition, you are telling Amat, his family, and our government that this community stands behind him and will not stay silent while he fights to come home.

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TAKE ACTION:

 -  Share this alert: Help spread awareness of this injustice to all your networks

 -  Contact your local Representatives: Demand they intervene for Mr. Jaho’s release - Find your representative here: https://www.flhouse.gov/FindYourRepresentative

 -  Contact the Jaho family with connections to local, state, and federal officials, the Florida Governor, or Marco Rubio: The Jaho family can be reached via email: justiceforjaho@gmail.com, Instagram: @justiceforjaho, and Facebook: JusticeforJaho

Case Information: Amat Jaho, A#070360785, currently detained at Baker County Detention Center, Macclenny, Florida.

Please follow JusticeForJaho on social media to stay updated on Amat's case: Instagram - @justiceforjaho, and Facebook - JusticeforJaho

#JusticeForJaho