Exeter Police Sued Over Immigration Case

EXETER, NH -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire on Tuesday announced a lawsuit against the Exeter Police Department over an immigration case. The case involves Bashar Awawdeh, who was detained for 26 days on an immigration charge after helping Exeter police in an assault case.

"Awawdeh helped the Exeter Police Department with its investigation of an alleged simple assault by providing translation services that enabled the Department to question—and ultimately arrest—a suspect," ACLU-NH Legal Director Gilles Bissonnette said in a statement. "The Department then unlawfully detained, seized, and arrested Awawdeh on suspicion that he was in the United States without documentation ... After ICE took Awawdeh into custody, he was jailed as an immigration detainee, away from his family, for 26 days until he was released on bond with the help of the ACLU-NH. Prior to this presidential administration, Mr. Awawdeh would not have been detained in jail."

Exeter police said they are reviewing the lawsuit, according to WMUR.

"Our attorneys will respond to the lawsuit in due course," Exeter police said in a statement, WMUR reported. "We do not intend to litigate this matter in the press."

Bissonnette added, "When local police departments detain individuals simply due to their alleged undocumented status, they create an environment where these individuals—including victims of domestic violence—are afraid to call for help and report crimes. Local police departments need to be accessible to all members of the public, regardless of their legal status, to ensure public safety. This is what this lawsuit hopes to achieve."

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