Muslim detainee only given pork in violation of religious beliefs at Border Patrol detention facility
According to the Huffington Post, Adnan Asif Parveen, a Muslim detainee, was imprisoned at a Border Patrol detention facility even though he holds a work permit to the United States. He was given only pork to eat for a week, a violation of Muslim beliefs.
Asif’s wife, Jennifer Asif, did not know where her husband was detained, reports HuffPo. Asif was arrested at the border along with three dozen immigrants and given an aluminum sheet as a sleeping blanket.
When Border Patrol guards first gave Asif a pork sandwich, he refused. While Customs and Border Protection states that officers must “remain cognizant of a detainee’s religious or other dietary restrictions,” Border guards refused to offer any alternatives and gave Asif a pork sandwich about every eight hours. He eventually peeled the meat off and just ate the bread.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers interrogated Asif about his beliefs and any “radical” ties. Asif told the Huffington Post, “They asked if at the mosque they say anything against the USA government. I said, no, the mosque is where you go to pray.”
During his detention, officers asked him to sign a deportation order that would allow them to deport him to Spain, where he was raised. When Asif was allowed to call his wife, Jennifer notified him she had flown to Texas and was unaware of his location. Asif told reporters, “I wanted to be with my wife. And I said no — I’m not signing my deportation. I’m not going back like that.”
Since then, Asif has been detained at a Port Isabel detention facility in Texas.
Cathy Potter, Asif’s lawyer, told the Huffington Post, “This just blows my mind. He’s not a danger to his community. He’s certainly not a flight risk. He’s got a wife and he’s devoted to her. Yet he’s detained and ICE refuses to release him.”