Ibrahim Parlak has owned Café Gulistan restaurant in in Harbert, Michigan for over 20 years. Despite being a model immigrant, the father to a lovely daughter in college and a dedicated member of his community, Ibrahim is embroiled in a legal fight with the U.S. Government to stave off deportation.
The Friends 4 Ibrahim group has rallied around Ibrahim and is committed to helping him win this fight to stay in America, his home. Knowing that Ibrahim has paid over $20,000 to his attorneys just in the past two months alone, we knew we needed to step in and help with legal fees and expenses. Please join us in this effort.
By the time Ibrahim Parlak arrived in the U.S. in 1991, he had endured warfare, imprisonment, and torture in his homeland of Turkey. He is a Kurd, an ethnic minority that has historically been subjected to discrimination by Turks. When Ibrahim was granted asylum in Chicago, he was so grateful. He sought to build a new life free from persecution, and wanted only to be the best American he could be.
Then 9/11 happened, and Kurds who had been politically active in their homeland came onto the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) radar. Without warning, and without cause, Ibrahim was imprisoned in 2004. But by then, he had the love and respect of his community. Hundreds of supporters fought for, and secured, his release.
He has the backing of Congresspersons, several journalists, and former counsel to the FBI on terrorism. Michigan Senator Carl Levin and Rep. Fred Upton introduced a series of private bills to protect Ibrahim from deportation. But Levin is now retired. And these protections for our gentle and industrious friend and family member, Ibrahim Parlak, expired on December 23rd. He now has a 90 day extension – until March 21st, 2016. After this date, he might actually be forced from his home and family, to face possible renewed persecution or death in Turkey or an unknown country. Ibrahim’s attorneys are working hard to prevent this from happening, but the legal fees are mounting.
This man is a devoted father to his American daughter, a small business owner, job creator, taxpayer, and a pillar of his community.When he first arrived, Ibrahim worked as a busboy. As soon as he could, he started his own restaurant with two knives and three pots, and did all the work himself until he earned enough to hire help. Today, 20 years later, his restaurant is famous and beloved in his Michigan town, and he provides many jobs to the community. His daughter is thriving at college.
Few people suffer as he did, or make as much of what this country offers. As Ibrahim said, America provided him "with the opportunity to become someone." Here, "if you live by the rules and work hard...dreams can come true."
The clock is ticking! Let’s not take this upstanding man’s dreams away from him. We ask you to join us in contributing to the legal fund to keep Ibrahim in America.
Please also sign the petition at: https://www.change.org/p/president-barack-obama-stop-the-wasteful-and-unnecessary-deportation-of-ibrahim-parlak?recruiter=451245830&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
All donations will go directly into a fund to pay for attorney fees and expenses related to Ibrahim’s case.
For more information please visit www.FundedJustice.com or click here
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