Maila, thanks for your concern and I am sorry to hear that the Gambian
community in Rhode Island is also dealing with a similar situation.  We
appreciate your efforts and service to the community.  Please keep us posted
as you receive more information.  I shall do the same from this end.  Keep
up the good work.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: "Maila Touray" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]>
>CC: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>  [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask],   [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],   [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],   [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],   [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],   [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],   Ceesay Soffie
><[log in to unmask]>,   Sigga Jagne <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Fwd: Gambians in Lexington detained by the INS
>Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:49:11 -0500
>
>Joe,
>Thanks for getting us involved in this matter. We the Gambian community
>in Rhode Island will meet on the issue and respond directly to Makumba
>Njie.
>Meanwhile, I am working on a similar situation here in Rhode Island and
>wish to share it with the rest of us. There are four of our locals that
>were picked up for various levels of INS law violations, all of which
>range from overstaying a visa, to working without permit with the
>exception of one. The exception is all of the above, plus domestic
>violence charges against his girlfriend. During a regular visit to the
>detention center a few days ago, one of them mentioned, that
>approximately 15 Gambian have been transferred into their facility the
>last three weeks from other states -  making it a total of 19. I have
>cautiously communicated this information to our embassy in DC following
>protocol; and also working with an friend who guards at the detention
>center to give me an inventory of those in this unit. Since I don't know
>the accuracy of the head count and who they are, I do not want to sound
>a false alarm. Once I have good data to work with - including name of
>family members, I will take it up from there.
>I will do my best in sharing developments from our end with you without
>compromising the identities of those detained in respect to their
>privacy.
>Thank you all and keep up the good work! This is one more civic duty we
>have to perform for our citizens.
>Regards,
>
>Maila Touray
>
>Joe Sambou wrote:
> >
> > All, below is a message I received from a friend in kentucky, Max Njie,
>and
> > I thought I pass the word around to see how we can assist the Gambian
> > community there.  Theirs is a case of mistaken identity and being at the
> > wrong place at the wrong time for most of them.  They will appreciate
>any
> > help they can get.  Thank you for your support.  Please read on.
> >
> > >From: "Makumba Njie" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >To:
> >
> ><[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>
> > >CC: "MGSA" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Subject: Gambians in Lexington detained by the INS
> > >Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 22:18:17 -0500
> > >
> > >Hi Joe, thanks for the time you spend on the phone with me.
> > >
> > >Here is briefly what happen
> > >
> > >A new arrival by the name of Lamin Touray was trying to secure a social
> > >security card through the social security scam that was going on in
> > >Madison, Wisconson. Even though he never get the card, his name came up
> > >when that scam was busted. A representative from the social security
> > >department then contacted Lamin Touray1 by phone, but got the wrong
>Lamin
> > >Touray2 and asked him what his social security number was, Lamin
>genuinely
> > >replied that he left his card at home and does not remember the number.
>He
> > >however promised to call back and give his SS number to the social
>security
> > >agent, but he never did. After ten weeks, Lamin Touray1 apartment was
> > >raided by a representative from the SS department, an INS agent and
>members
> > >of the Lexington police force.
> > >At the time of the raid Lamin1 was at work, so the agents proceeded to
>his
> > >work place, but, they got the wrongly Lamin Touray2 again. After taking
> > >Lamin2 into custody, and ran his SS number, they realized that they got
>the
> > >wrong guy, but kept him for working without a work permit. The agents
>went
> > >back to Lamin Touray1's apartment to look for him again and during
>their
> > >search they found that Lamin's roommates were also working without a
>work
> > >permit and arrested them. One of the guys arrested gave out the name
>and
> > >address of an other recent arrival who was living with a couple who
> > >overstayed their B2 visas and working without permit. Upon raiding the
> > >apartment all three were taken into custody. During this raid another
> > >person was discriminately pick up because he was wearing a kaftan, he
>was
> > >interviewed and arrested for visa violation. One of Lamin Touray's
> > >roommates was missing at the time of the initial arrest, so the agents
>went
> > >back looking for him, unfortunately a lady and her brother who knew of
>the
> > >raid met this person outside the apartment and started explaining what
> > >happened to him, not knowing that the agents were still there waiting
>for
> > >this missing person and all three were nabbed.
> > >In short the agents came looking for one person and ended taking 11
>people.
> > >However none of them were involve in any criminal activity, 10 were
>charged
> > >with immigration violation and Lamin Touray1 was charged with a felony
>of
> > >trying to fraudulent secure a federal document. Of the 11 people, one
>has
> > >been bailed by her relative, 9 are held on $15,000 bonds and Lamin is
>held
> > >on a felony charge.
> > >We are currently working with a Gambian attorney Abdoulie Suwareh, who
> > >want's $3000 upfront for his incidental expenses to prosecute the case
>and
> > >$3000 per person for his fees.
> > >The Gambian community in Lexington is a very small one and half of us
>have
> > >been incarcerated. This left 10 of us with a heavy financial burden.
>Some
> > >of the detainees have relative that may be able to help, but we won't
> > >discriminate now, we will treat them as a group.
> > >5 or 6 of the detainees were here on B2s and the other 5 were here on
>F1
> > >visa, one was a full time student and at least 3 of them applied to
>enroll
> > >in school in January.
> > >
> > >We the Lexington community are here by soliciting the financial help
>from
> > >any willing and able person that came across this email.
> > >
> > >You can send donations to
> > >
> > >Makumba Njie (Max),
> > >175 N Locust Hill Dr.
> > >Apt #2607,
> > >Lexington, KY 40509.
> > >If you need more information feel free to call at 859 269 8111 or 859
>489
> > >7281 or email at [log in to unmask]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
> > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail


_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~