INDIVIDUAL FEARS DEPORTATION TO EBOLA INFESTED COUNTRY!!!

On the heels of becoming a United States Citizen, Michael Reeves lost it all. Now, he finds himself, without a country to call his own. Michael, alleges that he has suffered grave inaccuracies, discrimination, misconduct and a marriage that almost cost him his life. His complaint, allege, that he became a target of the U.S Government after he, a convicted felon, got married to a law enforcement officer.

Michael, 44, says that after he was released from federal prison over 17 years ago and got married, it was not for the better. In fact, his life changed for the worse. When word got out that Michael, a convicted felon had married a Probation Officer, his life went into uncertainty and despair ever since. He was told this posed a conflict of interest. His wife faced scrutiny, internal investigation and faced losing her job because she failed to divorce him. The investigation caused the board to rule that because she was a state probation officer and her legally married husband was on federal probation, that there was no conflict of interest. 

Michael had been out of prison for almost two years. He was halfway through his federal supervised released and on his way to citizenship. He had already paid for the crimes which he had been wrongly convicted and felt he was done with the system until he was deviously turned over to immigration at his probation check in. Two years earlier, at the end of his prison sentence, INS had informed prison officials to remove the detainer they had on him and release him.

Michael faced an immigration judge in Atlanta and claims the judge barred him from seeking any relief from deportation. Michael even had an asylum application that had been pending for 7 years. He had been approved to adjust status but the judge refused a hearing despite tons of letters that had been written to INS supporting his claims that his life was endangered if he was returned to the war zone of Liberia; all of his family in Liberia had been murdered or had fled the country. The judge angrily refused to even entertain the discussion.

Michael left Liberia as a young man and has no one there. He had grown up in the United States. Liberia had been embattled by a vicious civil war. What was left of the country was controlled by the very people who had killed his family, the Charles Taylor Government. In the presence of his pregnant wife in the court room, Michael was ordered deported from the United States and was never to see his family again.

When Michael and U.S Marshal's boarded the plane at J.F.K Airport, he and his family were told that he was getting deported to Liberia, but claims that were not true. The Marshall's were afraid to go to Liberia because it was a war zone as such the plan was to just "dump off" Michael in any place in Africa and let him find his way to Liberia. Michael was let off in the Ivory Coast, thousands of miles way from Liberia. He was in a French speaking country and he did not speak any French, which complicated his situation even more. Michael claims that the Marshal’s asked Ivorian officials to get him to Liberia, which never happened. Michael was jailed and Ivorian officials requested bribe money to release him and to get him close to the Liberian border.

After they were bribed, Michael braved it and left for Liberia even though he knew his life would be endangered, he had few choices. Either remain in Ivorian dirty jails cells, or brave it for his freedom.

After a long walk to the Liberian border, he was immediately detained. Michael claims that his last name linked him to the previous Liberian government where his family was very active in Politics at that time. The security at the border claimed that Michael was a terrorist and that he had come from the United States to start problems for new president, Charles Taylor.

Michael was stripped off all of his clothes, with his hands tied behind his back and was placed inside a small hut, used as a jail. Michael underwent, torturous interrogations, been beaten by the security guards for days. Michael was also shot him in his leg and was promised the next shot will be to his head. Michael was fearful for his life, so he decided to make up a plan to meet the new president, Charles Taylor.

Michael claims he lied to the guards that he was sent from the United States by major investors looking to buy millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds. Michael told them that he came through the border because the investors did not want him to leave a paper trail. After some hesitation, the security officials apologized to Michael questioning him as to the reasons why he did not share the information with them earlier. Michael answered that he was sure if the security were part of Taylor’s security or rebel forces, and that he did not want to risk his life. The security officials believed Michael and he was transported to Monrovia where he received medical treatment.

Michael met an official of the government and was introduced to individuals in the diamond underworld that owned diamond creeks and were smugglers. It was not long; Michael was taken to the Presidential Palace meeting President Taylor, and two other men who described themselves as private owners of diamond creeks. They sat brokering deals to smuggle diamonds into the United States. To get him back into the United States unnoticed, the Liberian Government acting under an order from President Charles Taylor requested a Diplomatic Passport and Official Visas from the United States Embassy. Michael was given a title, Chairman of the National Reconstruction Commission, as a cover up.

Michael re-entered the United States as a Senior Government Official, when in fact he had not worked a day in the government. His first mission was to broker a diamond deal for $175,000. After he met with the prospective investors on two occasions and the deal was worked out, he defected and ran away to his wife. He severed all ties with Liberia. He lived in fear for the next 17 years hiding from U.S customs and knowing that he ever stepped foot back on Liberian soil he would be a dead man.

Michael claims that even though President Taylor is no longer in power, the people that put up the diamonds are and Liberia is not safe for him. Michael is being prosecuted in the United States for illegal re-entry. His mother is a United States citizen. His wife and children all United States citizens. He has not been convicted of a felony in over 25 years, He is held under mandatory detention because the government claims he is a danger to the community. He has been in the United States for almost 30 years. On July 18th, 2014, U.S district court, Eastern district of New York, dismissed Illegal re-entry charge on the ground that the statute of limitation expired. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Michael at Hudson County Jail where First Friends are providing moral and compassionate support for him through visitation. 

Not only is Michael fearful of  what will happen to him upon arrival to Liberia, but to face deportation to Ebola infested Liberia is causing emotional and psychological anguish. The Ebola epidemic is a humanitarian catastrophe across Liberia, Serra Leone and Guinea that First Friends believes it unfathomable for United States to consider deporting individuals such as Michael to their native countries that are hardest hit by the Ebola virus. ICE is enforcing an illegal removal order erroneously entered against him in 1997. Without, ICE affording a new hearing, Michael is denied a right to see a judge or be granted a bail bond. Michael requires our support for humanitarian relief as he cannot be sent back to his native country infested by the virus and where his life is already been threatened.