Michigan, Field Test For Mass Deportations

Daily Detroit

The eyes of the nation have been on Metro Detroit, as this is where Chaldean Christian Jimmy Al-Daoud was picked up for deportation to Iraq.

The 41 year old Oakland County man came to the United States legally as a baby, and as an adult, dealt with health issues like diabetes and schizophrenia.

He also had numerous problems with the law, which got him the attention of the Federal Government.

A couple months after his deportation, Jimmy died in the city of Najaf.

But the story goes deeper, and beyond Mr. Al-Daoud.

Although all the media attention is on the Mexican border and talk of the wall, it is Michigan that has been the incubator for the U.S. government’s recent policies and practices on deportation.

And the first group to deal with mass roundups was the Chaldean community, mostly in suburban Oakland and Macomb County.

So joining us is Clarence Dass. He’s a lawyer who personally dealt with more than 25 of these kinds of cases.

We have an interesting conversation on something that is dividing the nation, immigration. With a very local angle.