Afghan Mom's Freed
L.I. Illegal Immigrant Wins Reprieve, Rejoins Kids

March 5, 2005

By Leslie Casimir
Daily News Staff Writer

Just a week after U.S. immigration officials rejected a Levittown, L.I., mom's plea to not be deported, the Afghanistan native was sprung from jail Thursday night and reunited with her two U.S.-born children.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have agreed to hold off on deporting Samira Rahman for one year, allowing her to seek legal remedy to a rejected political asylum claim.

Her early morning arrest in January was decried by Flushing, Queens-based group Women for Afghan Women, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.).

"We took a careful look at her case and it made sense to give her a stay of removal for a year, but it doesn't change her status," said Russ Knocke, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington. "She is still an illegal alien."

Immigration officials arrested Rahman, 30, at her home after her asylum claim was rejected in 2003.

An immigration judge concluded that since the Taliban government was no longer in power, the housewife was safe to return to her homeland.

Several years ago, her brother had been murdered by the Taliban. Her father is still missing. The radical rulers took him into custody.

Rahman was a secretary for Afghanistan's sole airline, which did not please the Taliban-controlled government at the time.

The U.S. granted political asylum to her husband, Abdul Rahman, years ago and he wants to sponsor his wife, who is raising their two children, Zikira, 2, and Zaky, 1.

"I hope I will stay here for my family because my country is not a good situation," Samira Rahman said yesterday from her home. "I feel safe more in America."