ICE: Photographer Had Been Ordered to Be Deported in 2006
A spokesperson with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated Tuesday the photographer with ties to Peekskill who was deported last week had been ordered to return to his hometown of Yemen in 2006.
Responding to questions posed by Examiner Media, Rachael Yong Yow, a Public Affairs Officer, ICE New York, stated Hazaea Mohammed Senan Alomaisi, 42, better known locally as Anwar, entered the United States as a visitor in 1998 but failed to leave the country later that year in accordance with his visa requirements.
In February 2005, Alomaisi was ordered removed by a federal immigration judge. He filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and on May 31, 2006, the BIA dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the immigration judge. Alomaisi was released on an Order of Supervision (OSUP) in July 2011, and on January 21, 2020, the OSUP was revoked and he was taken into ICE custody. He was removed from the country January 28.
It remains unclear why Alomaisi, who reportedly attended regular meetings with ICE, was allowed to live in the United States without incident from July 2011 to last week.
Alomaisi last lived in New York City, according to his Facebook account, but he spent a lot of time in Peekskill, especially near the Hudson River waterfront capturing the beauty of nature and the environment. He studied photography at Westchester Community College and often photographed events and celebrations for Yemeni and other Arab individuals. He has no criminal record.
A GoFundMe account set up by Kevin Winterfield in an effort to help Alomaisi appeal his deportation has raised more than $8,000 from more than 150 donors as of Tuesday night. The goal of the fundraiser is $11,000.
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