A U.S. Citizen was detained and almost deported because immigration officers refused to believe he belonged in the country, according to a lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star.
Brian Bukle, 62, born in the British Virgin Islands, was automatically naturalized through his parents in the 1960s when he was nine, but in June 2020, while he thought he would be going home from prison to reunite with his son in time for Father’s Day, he was told that Immigration and Customs Enforcement “wanted” him out of the country.
“I came this close to being deported and losing everything, a nightmare that has stayed with me to this day,” Bukle said.
Civil advocates believe Bukle was subjected to the treatment because of his race. The U.S. government settled a wrongful arrest lawsuit with Bukle on Dec. 5 for $150,000. Data shows ICE disproportionately selects Black immigrants for deportation.
According to the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Black immigrants are more…
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