Father of two who came to US over 20 years ago detained by ICE
Karim Daoud, an Egyptian national living in New Jersey with his wife and two children, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month, two decades after he first arrived in the United States, CBS News reported on Friday.
Newsweek has reached out to ICE's media team for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Daoud was reportedly detained after visiting the ICE office in Newark to renew some of his paperwork. His situation comes weeks ahead of the incident involving Palestinian organizer Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and U.S. green card holder who was detained by federal agents as he arrived for a citizenship appointment Monday.
U.S. authorities are carrying out an ongoing immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in the country's history. Thousands of people have been detained and deported since he took office, and the administration faces several lawsuits over the matter.
Trump has said that most detentions and deportations would target individuals with criminal records. However, in recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of people without criminal convictions, and some with valid documentation, being detained for deportation.
What to Know
In March, Daoud was detained following "an appointment to pick up documents to fulfill his work authorization requirement and to remain in the United States as he has since he has been in this country," Rachel Mascitelli, a friend of Daoud and his wife, Jennifer Metz, wrote in a GoFundMe page for his legal fees.
Daoud, who is originally from Egypt and arrived in the United States about 20 years ago on a tourist visa, reportedly went to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office where he was told there had been a mistake and that he needed to report to ICE.
"Once at the Newark ICE facility, Karim was apprehended. He had gone there willingly under the pretense of clearing up a 'mistake,'" Mascitelli wrote.
An ICE spokesperson told CBS News in a statement this month, "Karim Ahmed Daoud Mahmoud Salem, a native and citizen of Egypt, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement March 12 for violating U.S. immigration laws."
The statement continued: "Daoud is currently detained at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and is pending removal from the United States."
His wife, who is a U.S. citizen, maintains he has tried to become a permanent resident over the past two decades. Daoud and Metz have two children and live in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The couple worked together at a local restaurant in Flemington.
The community has rallied around Daoud following his detention. A Facebook page titled "Free Karim," which shares updates on his case and fundraising efforts, has attracted more than 2,600 followers. More than 1,200 donations have raised over $92,600 for his legal fees, and hundreds attended a vigil in his honor Thursday night.
According to court documents reviewed by Newsweek, Daoud—identified in prior case files as Karim Daoud Mahmoud Salem—was denied a petition for review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on March 18, 2022.
The court upheld a prior decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals, leaving his deportation order in place. It found that Daoud had missed the 90-day deadline to file and did not qualify for an exception.
The documents also state that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) "revoked the form I-130 visa petition that his U.S. citizen wife filed on his behalf," and that she filed another in August 2018. I-130 forms are filed by U.S. citizens on behalf of their spouse or relative to get a green card.
Newsweek has reached out to his lawyer at the time, Helen Ramirez, for comment via email on Saturday.
What People Are Saying
Jennifer Metz, Daoud's wife, wrote in an April 3 update on her husband's GoFundMe page: "I am lost without my best friend to come home to but by knowing how all of you have rallied behind us, it has given me even more strength than I knew existed. I talk to Karim everyday, 3 times a day to be exact. Everyday I tell him how loved he is by everyone he knows. You can hear his smile over the phone as he tries to maintain humbleness. He is happy knowing that the community that he loves so much is looking out for his family."
Rachel Mascitelli wrote on the GoFundMe page: "Karim is not a criminal. He has no criminal history at all. Karim has always worked and paid taxes in the United States. Anyone who knows Karim knows his undying love for the United States, that he is a loving husband, an incredibly devoted father, and a well-loved and upstanding community member."
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on April 17: "Under Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's leadership, HSAC will work hard on developing new Policies and Strategies that will help us secure our Border, deport Illegal Criminal Thugs, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are killing our Citizens, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has repeatedly maintained the administration's stance, saying: "If you are an individual, a foreign national, who illegally enters the United States of America, you are, by definition, a criminal. And so, therefore, you are subject to deportation."
What Happens Next?
It is unclear what the next steps are in Daoud's deportation case.