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URGENT: Family Torn Apart by ICE - Help Bring Shama Home

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*** We are blown away that we have already hit our first goal. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and prayed. We will have an update coming soon.

On October 9th, Mohamed Shama went to his routine immigration hearing in Durham, North Carolina while working to resolve his immigration status legally and transparently. But what should have been a hopeful day turned into a nightmare. Only minutes after the hold on his status was lifted, ICE agents arrested him without warning, and he was transported — shackled — to Cary Detention Center before then being transported to Alamance County Jail, and finally Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia.

Shama has spent years doing everything by the book. Since 2017, he’s worked tirelessly to reobtain legal status following his divorce from his first wife. Following the advice of his immigration lawyer, he’s complied with every filing and legal recommendation. But despite his diligence, Shama has been trapped in a web of bureaucratic red tape. Now, he’s being torn away from the life and family he built here — his wife Maggie, an American citizen living with a degenerative disease and limited mobility, and his two beautiful daughters from his previous marriage. Shama himself suffers from chronic health issues, including what doctors suspect is long COVID, and his detainment puts his health and safety at serious risk. We are determined to fight this compassionless injustice and bring Shama home.

Your support will go directly toward:
1. Filing a motion to stay ($600)
2. Writ of habeas corpus (a legal order, estimated $8-$20k)
3. Travel costs if he must self-deport in order to pursue his green card from abroad, out of captivity (estimated $1k for flight, more if he needs to post bail)
4. Personal care items while in detention (clothing, toiletries, hygiene essentials - $150)
5. Legal fees to continue his case (estimated $20k - he has spent roughly $21k already)
6. Support for his family — Maggie and his daughters — while he is detained (all additional funds will go here, keep in mind until Shama's status is resolved he will not be able to return to his position at AMC)

Shama has spent years giving back to his community and standing by his family through hardship. He has worked with AMC for the past eight years, during which he was awarded General Manager of the Year, out of 600 GMs in the country, and recognized by Durham Mayor Steve Schewel for his service to the community — particularly for his commitment to hiring individuals with special needs and ensuring they have equal opportunities for employment. Now, we’re asking for your help to stand by him.

Please consider giving what you can to help reunite Shama with his loved ones and fight back against an immigration system that too often punishes those who follow the rules. Together, we can show that compassion and justice are stronger than fear and bureaucracy.
Every donation, share, and prayer helps bring Shama one step closer to home.

Thank you for standing with Shama, Maggie, and their family in this fight for freedom and dignity.

*We’re committed to full transparency and will continue to update this page as we receive new information. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or requests for additional details.
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    Organizer

    Dani Christian
    Organizer
    Durham, NC
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