Women for Afghan Women
PRESS RELEASE
February 11th, 2005
Press Contact: Manizha Naderi, manizha26@earthlink.net or 718-321-2434
Darryl Wynn, Attorney: 212-402-6886

WAW Endorses the Petition for Deferred Action filed on behalf of Samira Rahman

A press conference concerning the plight of Samira Rahman, a young Afghan mother married to an asylee from Afghanistan, who has been in custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Elizabeth, New Jersey, will be held at the Center for Media Technology - 3rd Floor Conference Room, at 75 Maiden Lane in Manhattan on Thursday, February 17th at 10AM.

Date: Thursday, February 17th at 10AM
Place: Center for Media Technology--3rd Floor Conference Room, at
75 Maiden Lane in Manhattan

Darryl L. Wynn, Esq., attorney for the detainee, of the firm Citarella Spicacci Wynn will speak at the Conference, as will Manizha Naderi, Director of Women for Afghan Women.

Ms. Rahman had fled Afghanistan in January 1997 to escape from the Taliban government, which had kidnapped her father, whose fate is still unknown, and which killed her brother. She was targeted for persecution being an ethnic Tajik and also for having worked as a secretary for an airline. Her political Asylum case was unfortunately denied by the Immigration Judge on April 28, 2003 due to the Judge's determination that country conditions had sufficiently changed in Afghanistan that would make it possible for her to live without fear of persecution there. This decision was appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which unfortunately upheld the Immigration Judge's decision on July 1, 2004.

Ms. Rahman's husband is an asylee from Afghanistan whose persecution was recognized by the U.S. immigration authorities. He is in the process of becoming a permanent resident of the U.S. The couple have two very young children, ages 1 year old and 2 ∏ years old.

We strongly endorse the Petition for Deferred Action that has been filed on Ms. Rahman's behalf with the New York City District Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by her attorney, Darryl Wynn. If this Petition is approved, Ms. Rahman would be released under supervision by the immigration authorities and she would be able to remain in the United States until she can obtain permanent resident status through her husband. Ms. Rahman has absolutely no family remaining in Afghanistan.