Hundreds of Chicagoans, including many Tibetan immigrants, will protest the unfair November 23rd deportation of innocent 29 year old refugee Thupten Choesang. Congressman Mark Kirk and Senator Richard Durbin are making last minute pleas to the Department of Homeland Security to halt the deportation. Mr. Choesang, a six-year resident of Chicago and husband of American citizen, Tenzin Wangyal, was arrested by the INS on September 16, 2004 as he lawfully attempted, with his attorneys, to adjust his refugee/asylee status in this country. The United States intends to deport Choesang to Nepal where he had lived in a refugee camp prior to his legal entrance into the United States.
It is documented that the Nepalese Government forcibly repatriates Tibetan asylum seekers to China where they are subjected to forced labor and torture, a direct violation of international law. On June 2, 2003 the United States State Department condemned Nepalese deportation of 18 Tibetan Refugees from Nepal to China. Yet, the Immigration and Naturalization Service disregards this fact. Fearing for his safety upon return to Nepal, other U.S. Government officials have arranged for Choesang to be met at the Nepalese airport by U.S. Embassy officials as well as Human Rights advocates stationed in Kathmandu.
Chicagoans urge The Department of Homeland Security to review the case on November 22nd and to exercise its prosecutorial discretion to halt the deportation of Thupten Choesang.
Please contact Department of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Victor Cerda to exercise their discretion in this matter by going to http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus and urge them to allow Thupten to remain in United States with his wife.
