Opinion ID: 593298
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fares's Deportation from the United States in 1990

Text: 4 On December 6, 1989, Fares, his brother Malik, and a cousin became involved in a verbal confrontation with employees of a New York City municipal agency, leading to the ejection of Fares and his companions from the agency offices. Outside, the exchange escalated into a physical altercation, during which Malik slashed two of the agency employees with a knife, while Fares himself used a cane to beat another employee unconscious. One victim reported that during these events Fares and his companions made statements indicating that they were connected with Hizballah, a Lebanese terrorist organization. Fares, Malik, and their cousin were apprehended and arrested on state charges of felonious assault. 5 On December 8, 1989, INS issued a warrant for Fares's arrest, seeking his deportation on the ground that he had been admitted on a student visa and was not a student. INS also sought to deport Malik and the cousin on like grounds. Fares, arrested later that day, signed a sworn statement conceding that he had never registered for school. He said he had not become a student because he had no money and had instead supported himself by working as a street peddler. 6 Prior to the deportation hearing, negotiations were held between INS and the attorney representing Fares and his companions as to the possibility of having the case disposed of by their voluntary departure from the United States. INS imposed several conditions on its offer of voluntary departure, however, including the conditions that Fares et al. bear the expense of their departures and go to a country other than Canada. Fares and his companions rejected the offer, indicating their intention instead to seek political asylum. 7 On February 9, 1990, ILJ Howard Cohen held a deportation hearing, at which Fares and his companions appeared pro se. Advised by the ILJ that they were entitled to counsel, and shown a list of available attorneys, Fares and his corespondents stated that they preferred to represent themselves. They also said they had changed their minds about seeking asylum because they could not find an attorney to represent them in that endeavor. After stating that they did not wish to make any further attempt to get a lawyer because returning to Lebanon seemed preferable to remaining in jail in the United States, the following exchange took place between the defendants and the ILJ: 8 JUDGE: .... Now let the record show that an off the record discussion of some length was held by and between government attorney and the aliens through the interpreter and the aliens were explained that they have the right to apply for voluntary departure from the United States meaning that they will pay their own way out of the United States and after a discussion they decided that they would rather not and that they would just take orders of deportation to Lebanon. Is that correct? 9 DEFS: Yes it's correct. 10 KHEIR [interpreter]: Yes it took place. 11 JUDGE: And you're accepting orders of deportation to Lebanon as final in your case with no appeal? 12 DEFS: Yes, we do. 13