August 10, 2003 Irish American Unity Conference
by John P. Fogarty

WASHINGTON, DC - John McNicholl, Irish deportee, was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) on the morning of Thursday, July 17, at 5:30 a.m. as he walked out of his home in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania on his way to work. Unfortunately (or conveniently, as one may look at the situation) his lawyer was on vacation at the time. He was deported to Ireland under the cover of surprise and darkness by the BICE. Neither his lawyer nor his family was given prior warning. The family knew something was wrong when Mr. McNicholl's son awoke to hear the sound of his father screaming from the sidewalk. His son ran to the door to find Mr. McNicholl being forced into a car by unidentified men.

The Irish American Unity Conference was contacted in order to help confirm what had happened to Mr. McNicholl and where he was being held.

An appeal filed Thursday by Mr. McNicholl was summarily rejected by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia and he was deported the next day.

John Fogarty, Press Officer of the Irish American Unity Conference (IAUC) said, "Irish America wants the Bush Administration, members of Congress, and the British and Irish governments to know that we will not stand by and see Irish immigrants deported back to Ireland to face discrimination and murder."

"The way Mr. McNicholl and his American family have been treated by Homeland Security is appalling. John has lived and worked in the United States for over 20 years with not so much as a parking ticket and should have at least been given the dignity to prepare and close out his affairs before being deported. Instead, men came and grabbed him unannounced at 5:30 in the morning from his front doorstep as he was leaving for work. It sounds like something the KGB would do, not a United States agency. He was shackled, handcuffed and humiliated. John wasn't even allowed to say good-bye to his family."

John P. Fogarty
Press Relations Officer
Irish American Unity Conference
Tel: 248-661-6989
www.iauc.org

"Working for Justice and Peace in a Re-united Ireland"
For more information on the John McNicholl story please visit:
http://www.iauc.org/deportees.htm