ZGram - 3/9/2003 - "120 Armed FBI Agents Arrest Saudi Student At U Idaho"

[irimland@zundelsite.org]

ZGram- Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

March 9, 2003

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

I thought it was outrageous that three INS officials, accompanied by 
two local law enforcement officers, would show up to arrest my 
husband on FEBRUARY 5, a peaceful and sunny Tennessee morning as he 
was framing one of his paintings.  I thought it was a show of force 
meant to intimidate on purpose and for political effect.  I  thought 
it looked like "overkill" and was utterly unnecessary, given the 
smallest of minor infractions of which he was allegedly guilty - a 
clerical error at most!

Now this?

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120 Armed FBI Agents Arrest
Saudi Student At U Idaho
SEVIS
3-8-3

The following letter was forwarded to SEVIS, and is chilling 
testimony to the campaign of fear and intimidation on university 
campuses. Information shared by universities through the SEVIS 
tracking system enable the INS, FBI and CIA to carry out such crimes. 
Send copies of this letter to your International Student Services, 
and your administration! Put it in your campus newspaper! This raid 
conveniently happened in a small town where it is difficult to build 
a strong movement in support of immigrants and international 
students. We'll keep you posted.
 
 From Prof. Elizabeth Brandt University of Idaho 3-8-3
 
Well, yesterday was an exciting day in my small town. The FBI flew in 
120 agents, fully-armed in riot gear, on two C-17 military aircraft 
(I think -- they were BIG planes) to Moscow Idaho (population 17,000 
+/-) to arrest one Saudi graduate student for visa fraud. The raid 
went down in University of Idaho student housing at 4:30 a.m. in the 
morning, terrorizing not only the suspect's family (he lived in 
student housing with his wife and three elementary school age 
children) but also the families of neighboring students who were 
awakened by the shouting and lights and were required to remain in 
their homes until after 8:30 a.m.
 
At least 20 other students who had the misfortune to either know the 
suspect or to have some minor immigration irregularities were also 
subjected to substantial, surprise interrogations (4+ hours) although 
none were detained or arrested yesterday. Now, however, a witch hunt 
for additional unamed suspects who supposedly helped the guy who was 
arrested is on.
 
The INS and FBI are working together using gestapo tactics to 
question the students -- threatening their immigration status (and 
hence their education) if they don't answer questions which are 
really aimed at the criminal investigation. They have also threatened 
their partners and spouses with perjury charges if they don't talk.
 
I spent yesterday working with our immigration clinic director and 
local criminal defense attorneys to organize legal representation for 
the students who are being swept into the hunt for co-conspiritors. 
We have reached out to our entire area (40 -mile radius) to find 
enough attorneys. Now I'm working on getting resources and support to 
them. The Saudi government is providing financial support.
 
Reading about this stuff is one thing. Having it in your backyard is 
another. The international students at the University of Idaho are 
terrorized and scared.
 
Liz Brandt Elizabeth Barker Brandt Professor University of Idaho College of Law
 
http://lists.linefeed.org/pipermail/stop-sevis/2003-March/000080.html

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