A Kansas science teacher has been given the opportunity to argue his deportation case after months of legal battles and support from his community, his attorney said Tuesday.
“In its decision, dated Aug. 9, 2018 and received late yesterday, the Board found that reopening is warranted,” a statement from Syed Ahmed Jamal’s lawyer, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, read Tuesday. “The decision will now allow Mr. Jamal to have an Immigration Judge in Kansas City review his deportation case and any relief he may have.”
Sharma-Crawford added that though his case is “far from over,” Jamal no longer faced an imminent threat of deportation, and that she and the family are confident that especially given the support of the community, Jamal will be able to plead his case and ask an immigration judge to review numerous opportunities for him to gain legal status in the United States.
Jamal, an adjunct instructor at Park University at the time of his arrest, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention on March 20, as VOA reported at the time. He had been held since his arrest Jan. 24 for overstaying his visa.
Since a district court judge allowed his release, Jamal has been awaiting a decision on his appeal to a deportation order at his home with his family.
Jamal first came to the United States on a student visa in 1986, and later obtained an undergraduate degree, as well as master’s degrees in molecular biology and pharmacology. In recent years, he has taught numerous local universities as an adjunct instructor — most recently at Park University in Missouri.
