LOWELL — An Afghan man battling mind most cancers who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers final month has been launched on bond in Florida, a member of the family advised The Solar Wednesday, however the man’s ordeal isn’t over.
Ihsanullah Garay, 38, was arrested by ICE brokers in Methuen Sept. 14 and later delivered to a facility in Rhode Island, and after that to Florida, regardless of a legitimate employment authorization card his cousin, Abdul Ahad Storay, was in a position to present to The Solar.
After greater than a month in custody, throughout which he was lacking crucial appointments to deal with his most cancers, Garay was launched on bond, Storay mentioned.
Storay advised The Solar Wednesday he bought a name telling him to purchase Garay a aircraft ticket as a result of he had been launched, however when Garay tried to go to the airport, he was denied boarding by the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration as a result of he didn’t have an ID card, which Storay mentioned was taken by ICE in Massachusetts and by no means given again.
“So I canceled his ticket … I paid extra for a taxi driver to bring him to the bus station,” mentioned Storay. “He will start traveling back tonight.”
That will likely be a roughly 36-hour journey from Jacksonville for Garay, Storay mentioned.
“He is not doing very good, but he is at least optimistic now,” Storay mentioned of his cousin’s situation.
“I am a little bit relieved now that he is out,” Storay mentioned later. “I am just worried now about when he is going to arrive back, and getting him to his doctor.”
Garay has been dwelling in Lowell with Storay as he underwent therapy for the most cancers, which has impacted Garay to the purpose the place he now not felt he may dwell on his personal.
Each males are from Afghanistan, with Storay arriving within the U.S. in 2017 and receiving his citizenship a pair years in the past, and Garay arriving in April 2021 with the purpose of getting his doctorate in finance. In the summertime after Garay left, Afghanistan fell again to the Taliban as U.S. forces withdrew from the nation. Garay discovered he had most cancers quickly after that.
Garay has been unable to return to Afghanistan as a consequence of his life being in danger from the Taliban, Storay mentioned.
Garay lived with Storay in Lowell for a time whereas he underwent therapy at Lowell Normal Hospital earlier than shifting again to New York Metropolis, the place he had beforehand been in search of his diploma earlier than the most cancers upended his life.
After discovering he couldn’t dwell on his personal along with his sickness, Storay mentioned his cousin returned to dwell with him in Lowell, and he continued his most cancers remedies at Boston Medical Middle.
Garay had taken to delivering meals for apps like DoorDash and Grubhub to assist himself after he moved again to Lowell to dwell with Storay. It was throughout one such supply on Sept. 14 that Garay was arrested after he stopped to ask somebody for instructions in Methuen, and that particular person occurred to be an agent for ICE.
An ICE Boston spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark about Garay’s launch Wednesday.
When The Solar reached out to ICE for touch upon Garay’s arrest for the preliminary story about his scenario, ICE Boston spokesperson James Covington known as Garay “an illegal alien from Afghanistan,” and claimed Garay “violated the terms of his lawful admission when he refused to leave the country” after his scholar visa allegedly expired in 2021.
Garay’s employment authorization card, which Storay confirmed The Solar, was issued final 12 months, and it doesn’t expire till 2029. Beneath the Biden administration in 2022, the Division of Homeland Safety had given Afghan residents dwelling within the U.S. Short-term Protected Standing after the Taliban retook their nation, because of the dangers lots of them face from the Taliban authorities in the event that they return. That program was terminated by DHS underneath the Trump administration earlier this 12 months.
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