Brentwood Business Owner Has Been Detained by ICE Since February 14

An Oakley resident and Brentwood business owner has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has been in custody since February 14 and could be deported to Pakistan for 10-years before being allowed to return to the United States.

Ramzan Chaudhry, an undocumented immigrant from Pakistan and owner of Brentwood Petroleum, first came to the United States in 1991 at age 15, where he has since lived for 29-years. He is married and has three children.

They are now fighting a deportation order.

According to his wife, Asia Chaudhry, who is an American citizen, he had an appointment with Ice on February 14 at 9:30 am as he was renewing his passport.  He was told he could not leave and was detained. He then was taken into custody where he has been in Yuba City in holding.

Chaudhry explained although she is an American Citizen and married to Ramzan since 2014, the paperwork is pending because the USCIS received the paperwork but never processed it until now. She says the appointment next month is for her I-130 petition for her husband for the USCIS. She added that all three of her children are US citizens.

In fact, back in 2011, Ramzan’s mother became a US Citizen and he petitioned to fix his status where it was denied because the judge said his mother had other siblings that were US Citizens who could help care for her.

Chaudhry says she has been working with multiple attorneys to get him freed and stop his deportation to Pakistan where she says he has no family as they are all in the US and would be living on the streets.

“If his appeal is denied, he will be put on a plane in San Francisco and will be deported for 10-years,” explained Chaudhry. “Since the day my husband has been here, he has paid taxes, he has never been in trouble with the law, he has a tax ID, a business in his name. He owns a home, has a business, we have three kids together.”

Chaudhry is now seeking help from local officials who can help stop the deportation as he has been seeking asylum since 1994 from Pakistan.

According to Chaudhry, they have an interview next month that could keep Chaudhry in the country for good, but should he be deported before that, even if approved at the hearing next week, he would not be allowed back in the Country for 10-years.

Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor admitted he is aware the situation but realizes this is a Federal issue that Congressman Jerry McNerney.

“This is a very sad situation and I hope it can work out. I provided her with contacts of people who could possibly help,” said Taylor.

Congressman Jerry McNerney has been working with the family on the case since February to offer assistance to the family.

According to McNerney’s Communications Director, Nikki Cannon, the Congressman has made three formal requests to ICE, along with multiple follow up calls and emails, regarding Chaudhry’s detention and potential removal dates.

Cannon explained that their office has been in consistent contact with the family since the request and is preparing to send a letter to ICE to follow up on the request that Mr. Chaudhry be released while his related immigration cases are adjudicated, and he will continue to assist with these efforts.

Chaudhry has set up a petition at her business located at 7920 Brentwood Blvd in the City of Brentwood which she says is 1,000 signatures as of Wednesday.