Feinstein to Homeland Security: Obey Court Order, Return California Resident from Chad
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on the Department of Homeland Security to obey a federal court order to immediately return California resident Omar Yaide to the United States from Chad.
Yaide fears persecution in Chad, which has criminalized homosexuality, because of his sexual orientation.
“On December 18, 2019, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer ordered DHS to return Mr. Yaide to the United States ‘as soon as practically possible’ because the deportation violated due process,” Senator Feinstein wrote. “It has been over one month since that order, and DHS has still not returned Mr. Yaide to the United States. This is unacceptable.”
Full text of the letter follows:
February 4, 2020
The Honorable Chad F. Wolf
Acting Secretary
United States Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Dear Acting Secretary Wolf:
This is to urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately return Omar Yaide from Chad to the United States.
On December 18, 2019, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer ordered DHS to return Mr. Yaide to the United States “as soon as practically possible” because the deportation violated due process. It has been over one month since that order, and DHS has still not returned Mr. Yaide to the United States. This is unacceptable.
Mr. Yaide lived in California for over a decade, and he fears persecution in Chad on account of his sexual orientation. As the State Department warns, Chad has a poor human rights record and has criminalized homosexuality.
Further delay exposes Mr. Yaide to serious risk. Any action taken by DHS to force Mr. Yaide to contact the government of Chad to facilitate his travel puts his life in danger.
Simply put, DHS must comply with the court order and return Mr. Yaide to the United States as soon as possible. I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
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