A Sudanese national convicted in 1996 with nine others as part a large-scale terrorism plot against the US, was deported on October 12, by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and handed over to his home country’s authorities.
Amir Abdelghani, 59, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his part in the conspiracy headed by the Egyptian cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman to target the United Nations, FBI offices and other New York City landmarks.
Abdelghani served 22 years in prison before getting deported.
“The removal of this convicted terrorist is a strong declaration of ICE’s commitment to public safety and national security,” said Simona Flores-Lund, ICE ERO Philadelphia field office director.
“This removal is a victory for the United States and further emphasizes ICE’s vital role in protecting our nation.”
Abdelghani was among 10 people convicted of seditious conspiracy against the US and attempted bombings at the end of 1995 following a trial that lasted almost a year.
The attacks, thwarted in June 1993, were aimed at pressing the US to curb its support of Israel and the plotters also planned to blow up tunnels and bridges in Manhattan.
The men were not charged with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that left six dead and around 1,000 injured, but officials suspected they had links to it.
Abdelghani had an ICE detainer placed on him since an immigration judge ordered him removed from the country in 2001, and ERO immigration officers immediately transferred Abdelghani to ICE custody at the conclusion of his federal prison term in July 2019. He was held in ERO custody until his deportation.
ICE removed or returned 258,085 aliens in fiscal year 2018. Enforcement and removal operations arrested 158,581 aliens, 90 percent of whom had criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, or previously issued final orders. The overall arrest figure represents an 11 percent increase over fiscal year 2017.
ICE remains focused on removing public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens and gang members, as well as individuals who have violated US immigration laws, including those who illegally re-entered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges.
