A Moroccan man living in Bayonne spent more than three months in immigration detention after being arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to local media reports.
Abdellatif Hafraoui, 60, was taken into custody last August by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he prepared to board a flight with his wife. He remained detained for 108 days before being released on a $15,000 bond shortly before Thanksgiving. His immigration case remains pending.
Hafraoui, originally from Morocco, has lived in the United States for nearly 40 years and worked for about 18 years as a residential building concierge in Manhattan, local media reported. He does not have a criminal record.
His wife, Sandra, said agents approached the couple at the airport as they were preparing to travel to Florida for a vacation. Hafraoui was handcuffed and taken away in an unmarked vehicle, she said.
He was initially held at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey before being transferred to detention centers in Louisiana and Arizona, according to reports. His family said they had difficulty tracking his location during the transfers.
Hafraoui told local media he was pressured to accept deportation and placed in solitary confinement for 10 days after refusing to sign documents or board a flight.
A judge later overturned a prior deportation order issued years earlier after Hafraoui missed a court hearing that he said he was unaware of. His former attorney was subsequently convicted in federal court in an immigration fraud case, according to reports.
Data compiled by USAFacts show that tens of thousands of people are held in ICE detention nationwide, with only a small percentage having criminal convictions. Immigration attorneys say many detainees are long-term U.S. residents facing removal orders tied to missed hearings or administrative issues.
Hafraoui’s case also drew attention from U.S. Rep. Rob Melendez, whose office worked to locate him after multiple transfers and advocated for his return to New Jersey.
Since his release, Hafraoui has been required to wear an ankle monitor and report regularly to immigration authorities. He has not returned to work and says legal expenses have depleted the couple’s savings.
Hafraoui and his wife had supported President Donald Trump, attending campaign events in previous election cycles, according to local media. His wife said the detention experience has altered her views on immigration enforcement as they await further court proceedings.
He and his wife are trump supporters. So, they wanted trump to do this, but not to them.
FAFO