Truck Driver with Pending Green Card Submission Detained by ICE, Accepts Deportation
Ahmed Nenni, a truck driver with a pending application for a green card thru a marriage-based I-130 petition, was recently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His wife, Elizabeth Nenni, reported that ICE agents approached Ahmed while he was outside his vehicle and instructed him to follow them, which he did due to his law-abiding nature.
Elizabeth nenni received a call from her husband informing her of his detention by ICE, and expressing concern for her well-being given her location in a different state. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ahmed Nenni entered the U.S. unlawfully on September 15,2023,in San Diego and was released under the Biden administration. He has a pending asylum case and a scheduled immigration court hearing in New York in 2027.
The detention occurred amidst “operation Midway Blitz,” an ICE initiative targeting undocumented drivers in the trucking industry in Illinois and Indiana. ICE has arrested 140 migrant truck drivers as part of this operation. While supporters of the operation cite enforcement of immigration laws and road safety as justification, critics argue it disproportionately impacts migrants. Republicans have also suggested truck drivers should demonstrate English literacy,a standard Elizabeth Nenni asserts her husband meets,stating he is fluent in English.
Elizabeth Nenni alleges her husband was subjected to harsh treatment during his arrest and subsequent detention. She claims ICE agents restrained him with handcuffs, ankle cuffs, and a waist chain, and recounts an agent making a demeaning comment upon applying the restraints. She further alleges he was denied access to restrooms and water during a two-hour flight to Houston, and that his dietary needs as a Muslim – specifically the avoidance of pork – have not been accommodated, leading him to skip meals. She has been sending money for him to purchase limited commissary items like ramen, sardines, tuna, and beef stew.
Ultimately, after consulting with his lawyer, Ahmed Nenni accepted voluntary deportation.Elizabeth Nenni believes the conditions of detention were deliberately made unbearable to encourage self-deportation.As of the latest reports,Ahmed Nenni remains in ICE custody pending the completion of immigration proceedings and arrangements for his departure. Elizabeth nenni expressed notable distress and a desire for her husband’s return and a return to normalcy in their lives.
