Sadat I., 31, a gay man from Ghana, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since claiming asylum at the US-Mexico border on 17 January 2016; he is now held in Pearsall, Texas. Sadat fled Ghana in November 2015 after being beaten by members of the vigilante group ‘Safety Empire’, which burned down his house and beat his uncle three days later as Sadat was in hiding.
Homosexuality remains a criminal offense in Ghana...
Despite evidence that Sadat would continue to face persecution, imprisonment, and threats to his life if returned there, US authorities have denied his parole and are seeking his deportation…
Sadat’s family sent him a video as evidence of the ongoing threats of persecution he faces, yet ICE removed the video from his package without informing him.
Detention should only be used by immigration officials as a last resort and justified on a case by case basis. Parole should be granted for humanitarian reasons where the person does not pose a threat to public safety and presents no flight risk.
