Judge: Iraqi refugee held for 18 months not a threat, must be released
A federal judge on Monday ordered the release of a former member of an elite Iraqi military force who was detained for 18 months by authorities who claimed he concealed his past as he sought protection in the United States.
Farass Adnan Ali, 34, of Rochester, came to the United States from Turkey as a refugee in January 2014 and in the next year was made a lawful permanent resident.
He has been held in the Sherburne County jail since a May 2017 arrest for a sexual assault charge that was later dismissed. Federal agents took him into custody, accusing him of lying about his service in the Iraq military as well as his social media activity.
In June and August 2017, the FBI notified federal immigration officials that “Ali would be considered a threat to security should he be released,” according to a court record.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/judge-refugee-held-for-18-months-not-a-threat-must-be-released/504011552/