As Community Fights To Save Beloved Hamptons Taxi Driver, ICE Speaks On His Detainment, 'Removal Proceedings'

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — As the Hampton Bays comes together to help a beloved local taxi driver they say was detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement — an ICE spokesperson told Patch why they say Sami Abbes has been detained.

"Sami Abbes is a criminal illegal alien from Tunisia who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant temporary visitor in 1997 and violated the terms of his admission when he failed to depart the United States as required. On Aug. 25, 1998, Abbes was convicted of criminal trespass," the ICE spokesperson said.

"Abbes has petitions pending with the U.S. government; however, all of his prior applications have been denied," the ICE representative said. "And it can’t be stressed enough that an I-130 petition, even when granted, is not a substitute for lawful immigration status and does not shield illegal aliens from immigration enforcement actions. For nearly 30 years, Abbes ignored that fact and chose to disregard the laws of our country. Abbes is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings."

The ICE representative continued: "Illegal aliens are strongly urged to take responsibility for their departure using the CBP Home app. The United States continues to offer $1,000 and a free flight to those who choose to self-deport immediately. This is your opportunity to leave on your own terms and preserve the possibility of returning to the U.S. legally in the future. If you do not take advantage of this offer, you will be arrested and removed with no chance to return."

Community members have been advocating for Abbes: According to a GoFundMe, "Help Bring Sami Home: A Fight for His Freedom," created by Kym Smith, "If you have ever been in a cab in Hampton Bays chances are, you rode with Sami!"

The GoFundMe page reads: "Our beloved friend Sami, the man so many of us know as the warm-hearted local taxi driver of Hampton Bays has been wrongfully taken by ICE during what should have been a routine immigration appointment. He has no legal issues, no warrants, no criminal history and was steps away from becoming a U.S. citizen. Instead, he was detained without warning, and since then, he’s been moved from state to state at lightning speed, making it clear that they are trying to keep his legal defense away and make him disappear."

Sami Abbes, Smith said, "has spent years building a life here not just for himself, but for everyone around him. If you know him, you know his heart. You know he's the man who always shows up. The man who would give you the shirt off his back, the ride at 2 a.m. — even if you're broke. The man who treated every customer like family and every friend like a brother. Now Sami is the one who needs us."

Smith said the community has come together to raise funds to hire a multi-state deportation defense attorney who can fight for his release before it’s too late.

"The legal process is complex and fast-moving, and without proper representation, Sami could be lost in the system," she said. "Our friends have raised enough to cover his first court appearance with an attorney only to have him moved 1,000 miles away in the middle of the night."

Smith added: "This is our chance, maybe our only chance, to bring him home to the family and community that loves him."

Help is needed to "cover urgent legal fees to ensure Sami is not silenced, forgotten, or forced to leave a place he has called home for more than 25 years," she said. "Sami’s wife, son, and all of us who love him and call him a friend are living every day with fear and heartbreak. But we refuse to give up. We refuse to let him disappear. We refuse to let this be the end of his story here in Hampton Bays. This is a call to action. If Sami has ever made you laugh, fed you, driven you home safely, welcomed you into his business, or simply brightened your day please help us fight for him now. Even if you can’t donate, please share this page. Spread his story. Don’t let his voice be taken away. Let’s bring Sami home. Back to his family. Back to his community. Back to where he belongs."

In addition, Smith said, letters of character reference are needed. "Thank you to everyone who has emailed me a character letter on Sami's behalf; they are all so kind. . . I would like to flood the judge's desk with character letters from all of his friends and locals that have met him."

Letters can be sent via the GoFundMe here.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.