The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is appealing a decision that allowed Ibrahim Parlak to stay in the United States. Last month, an immigration judge approved Parlak’s application for deferral of deportation under the Convention Against Torture. Homeland Security has asked the decision to be reconsidered, meaning the fight for Parlak now goes to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Congressman Fred Upton spoke with WSJM News on Thursday about the issue.
“Now it’s going to go to a three judge court in Virginia, and I’m still all in,” Upton said. “We want to help. I think we’re preparing a letter to help explain his case, and we want to push all of the buttons that we can to make sure he is able to stay here.”
Upton says he and Parlak are disappointed, but optimistic.
“We’ve been in touch with him all along, and I had a good conversation with him on Thursday,” Upton said. “He knows we’re all in and want to help.”
Parlak attorney Robert Carpenter tells us the appeal could take eight to 12 months. From there, it could wind up before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Carpenter says he believes the immigration judge’s decision approving Parlak’s application for deferral of removal was “air tight,” and considers the continued federal appeals a waste of resources. Parlak, a Kurdish immigrant and restaurant owner in Harbert, has been fighting deportation since the early 2000s due to his former political ties in Turkey.
