In a case highlighting the complexities and human cost of the United States immigration system, a long-time Chicago-area restaurant owner has been forcibly removed from the country. Asif Amin Cheema, a 63-year-old resident of over three decades, was deported to Pakistan on Thursday night, his family confirmed, following a protracted legal battle.
A Life Uprooted: Detention and Deportation
The deportation order was executed after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his motion to stay in the country last week. This marked the third attempt by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to remove him, according to his daughter, Rabia Amin. Cheema, who had no criminal record, was initially detained near his home in suburban Addison during a targeted operation named Operation Midway Blitz in September.
His family states he was in the process of updating his immigration status and scheduling green card interviews when he was taken. The deportation was carried out despite Cheema suffering from serious medical issues, which became starkly evident last month when he collapsed at O'Hare International Airport during a prior deportation attempt.
Family's Fight and Community Outcry
The Cheema family has been fighting tirelessly to stop the removal, arguing it was based on a 1993 removal order they claim to have had no knowledge of. Rabia Amin, who is also a lawyer assisting with the case, asserted her father was never given a fair chance to contest that old order. The family held an emergency press conference before his flight, calling on elected officials to address a "flawed immigration system" that tears families apart.
"This is not the end, we're going to continue fighting and we're going to bring him back home," Amin told Block Club Chicago. The case garnered significant media attention and sympathy from local figures, including Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th), who praised Cheema's 30-year dedication to his Humboldt Park business, Best Sub #2 at 2653 W. North Ave, where he fed thousands, sometimes for free.
Legal Maze and Future Steps
Complicating the matter, the Board of Immigration Appeals was still considering whether to reopen his pending deportation appeal when the court refused to stay his removal. His attorney stated this means the family must now restart his immigration case from scratch. In a significant move, the family also filed a lawsuit against the federal government on the day of his deportation.
The lawsuit alleges that ICE officials denied Cheema his due process rights and withheld his medication for at least three days before his collapse last month. It further claims officials violated the Geneva Convention Against Torture by subjecting him to multiple "mock deportations." A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied he was denied medication.
To manage the financial and emotional strain, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign, which raised over $6.64 lakh of its Rs 11.62 lakh goal in under 24 hours. The funds are intended for living expenses, legal costs, and medical needs as they navigate this painful separation. "While this chapter is painful, we continue to hold onto faith," Amin wrote on the fundraiser page, vowing an endless fight for her father's return to America.
