U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has rejected a request from a detained Texas man to attend the funeral of his son, a decision that has drawn widespread condemnation. The father, Maher Tarabishi, was seeking temporary release to pay his final respects to his son, Wael Tarabishi, who recently passed away. Family members attribute the tragedy to the emotional toll of Maher’s detention, which began last October.
According to Ali Elhorr, an attorney representing Maher, the request for humanitarian release was denied on Tuesday. Maher Tarabishi, aged 62, has been held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, since he was arrested during a scheduled check-in with ICE on October 28, 2023. Originally from Jordan, Maher entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1994 and subsequently sought political asylum after the visa expired.
Family’s Plea and Son’s Struggles
Maher was the primary caregiver for Wael, who battled a rare genetic disorder known as Pompe disease since the age of four. The family reported that Wael was hospitalized on November 20, 2023, suffering from sepsis and pneumonia. His condition deteriorated until his death just days later, prompting his family to request Maher’s release so he could care for Wael in their home, which is equipped to handle his medical needs.
“Maher was his caregiver, his father, his best friend, his everything,” said Shahd Arnaout, Maher’s daughter-in-law. She expressed her outrage, stating, “I blame ICE. Maybe they did not kill Wael with a bullet, but they killed him when they took his father away.” The family feels that Maher’s absence during Wael’s final days contributed to their son’s tragic outcome.
Controversial Allegations and Administration Policies
During his detention, Maher Tarabishi faced allegations from the Trump administration that he was affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a claim that his family and legal representatives vehemently deny. While the PLO is recognized internationally as the representative of the Palestinian people, it is also categorized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Maher and his family assert that he has no connections to any terrorist group.
Wael was a U.S. citizen, and his family believes he should have had the right to have his father by his side during his illness. “His country failed him,” Arnaout lamented, emphasizing the emotional and physical toll that Maher’s detention took on both father and son.
The denial of Maher Tarabishi’s request has sparked conversations about the impact of immigration enforcement on families and the humanitarian considerations often overlooked in such cases. Critics, including former labor secretary Robert Reich, have labeled the decision as “unimaginable cruelty,” calling attention to the broader implications of immigration policies on vulnerable individuals.
As the family prepares for Wael’s funeral, they continue to advocate for Maher’s release, hoping to bring attention to the human side of immigration enforcement and its consequences on families.
