‘It’s unlawful’: Ursula denounces ICE as veteran released after months in detention

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a veteran and father to two young children, was released from the Northwest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in Tacoma this week after being held there since August, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA).

KIRO host Ursula Reutin criticized ICE over the arrest of Chaudhry.

“It’s unnecessary. It’s unlawful,” she said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Chaudhry was taken into ICE detention after a citizenship interview at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Tukwila, CAIR-WA stated.

“He is a lawful permanent resident. He was honorably discharged from the Washington National Guard. He’s a longtime community advocate,” Ursula said. “Now, ICE is claiming that he didn’t fully disclose a past foreign conviction, which seems to come up a lot, these foreign convictions, and related immigration paperwork issues. But again, he was basically here legally. He was very involved in the community, and this is not the person that you expect to be put away without his due process for four months.”

DHS calls out The Seattle Times, Seattle mayor for defending Chaudhry

In September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called out The Seattle Times and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for defending Chaudhry.

“Today, DHS set the record straight on The Seattle Times’ defense of Pakistani criminal illegal alien, and fraudster Muhammad Chaudhry,” DHS wrote in a news release. “While Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the media attempt to paint a sob story of this career criminal, DHS is providing the facts about this criminal illegal alien’s extensive rap sheet.”

DHS outlined Chaudhry’s criminal record

DHS stated that Chaudhry has a criminal record that started when he entered the U.S. in 1988 on a B-2 visitor visa and lied to the government about his past in Australia, which includes five counts of financial deception, possession of stolen goods, and falsifying passports.

According to DHS, Chaudhry lied to obtain a green card in the U.S. and was denied citizenship twice, dating back to 2008. He applied for citizenship eight more times and reportedly continued to lie.

DHS stated Chaudhry falsely claimed he was deployed to Iraq and collected $449,459.82 in taxpayer funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans’ Benefits Administration (VBA). Chaudhry also allegedly misrepresented his citizenship in an application to become a reserve officer at the Yakima Police Department. However, he did serve in the National Guard.

Chaudhry’s wife says US attorney apologized for wrongful detention

After his release, Chaudhry’s wife said the U.S. Attorney personally apologized for the wrongful detention.

“The U.S. Attorney herself apologized directly to the Court and to my husband, for wrongly detaining him,” she said in a statement, according to CAIR-WA. “This was a clear instance of standing up to a bully, and we won. Zahid will be released today. This should never have happened, and they admitted it. My family will be whole again. My children will have their Baba home. And our communities will be richer and stronger by his presence — and more confident, and more courageous, because of this win. Today is proof that the rule of law still matters and that justice can prevail. When we fight, we win.”

When asked who these laws are being enforced against, Ursula didn’t mince words: “People of color.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.