PRESS

Documentaries:

• VICE TV, A Refugee Falsely Accused of Murder Won His Case and Still Faces Deportation (June 26, 2021).

• VICE TV, The Iraqi Refugee Accused of Being an ISIS Hitman (May 23, 2021).

Press:

U.S. Gov’t Takes Another Loss – Immigration Judge Rules Sacramento Resident Can’t be Sent Back to Iraq Because He Will be Tortured, Davis Vanguard, March 29, 2022.

• Brittany Johnson, What’s next for Sacramento refugee Omar Ameen after judge rules he cannot be deported to Iraq? KCRA3, March 28, 2022.

• Lauren Walike, Judge says Omar Ameen can’t be deported yet because he will likely be tortured, ABC10, March 28, 2022.

• Robert Egelko, Immigration Judge blocks deportation of Sacramento man to Iraq, SF Chronicle, March 28, 2022.

• Jerimiah Martinez, Judge withholding Omar Ameen’s deportation on likelihood of torture upon his return to Iraq, FOX40, March 28, 2022.

• Sam Stanton, Omar Ameen’s attorneys say judge has rejected efforts to return Sacramento man to Iraq, Sacramento Bee, March 28, 2022.

• Dave Manoucheri & Brittany Johnson, Judge says Omar Ameen’s deportation on hold due to likelihood he could be tortured, KCRA3, March 28, 2022.

• Sonseeahray Tonsall, Interview: Lawyer gives details about Sacramento man facing deportation, FOX40, February 8, 2022.

• Brittany Johnson, Court hearing postponed for Sacramento refugee seeking asylum, KCRA3, February 3, 2022.

• Brittany Johnson, Sacramento refugee found to have lied on refugee application seeks asylum, KCRA3, January 31, 2022.

Omar Ameen Back in Court to Fight Deportation, CBS13, January 31, 2022.

• Eric Escalante, Petition filed seeking release of Omar Ameen from immigration custody, ABC10, January 11, 2022.

Sacramento refugee Omar Ameen files writ of habeas corpus, challenging detainment, KCRA, January 11, 2022.

Man Wins in Federal Courts, but U.S. Government Continues to Hold Him for Deportation, Davis Vanguard, January 11, 2022.

Omar Ameen Continues Fight for Freedom, CBS13, January 10, 2021.

• Sonseeahray Tonsall, Immigration attorneys discuss Iraqi refugee’s case after judge says he can be deported, FOX40, November 19, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Judge finds Omar Ameen can be removed from US, rejects claims Sacramento resident was terrorist, Sacramento Bee, November 16, 2021.

Federal judge unseals documents that led to Omar Ameen’s 2018 arrest, KCRA, November 9, 2021.

• Darrell Smith, Ameen’s fate in immigration judge’s hands after Sacramento man testifies at hearing, Sacramento Bee, October 14, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Omar Ameen says religion and culture were violated during FBI interrogation, KCRA, October 14, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Omar Ameen, Sacramento refugee facing deportation, testifies in his case, KCRA, October 13, 2021.

• KCRA, Immigration Services found Sac refugee Omar Ameen’s application to US ‘credible,’ October 13, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Omar Ameen’s refugee application at issue in removal hearing, KCRA, September 30, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Omar Ameen, Sacramento refugee who was exonerated, appears in court for removal hearing, KCRA, September 29, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Ping pong, air strikes and terrorist groups: testimony resumes in Omar Ameen hearing, Sacramento Bee, September 29, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Advocates file motion to unseal document in Omar Ameen case, KCRA, September 23, 2021.

•  Crescenzo Vellucci, Sacramento Group Files Motion to Unseal Hidden Evidence in Iraq Refugee Immigration Case, Davis Vanguard, September 24, 2021.

•  KCRA, Immigration judge in Omar Ameen case replaced by DOJ, September 10, 2021.

• Eugene Lee, Defending Omar Ameen, an Innocent Refugee, with Rachelle Barbour, Divided Families Podcast, August 12, 2021. Transcript here.

• Abigail Hauslohner, The Government’s Extradition Case Failed. Now ICE Is Trying to Deport Him, The Washington Post, July 30, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Omar Ameen, Sacramento Refugee Fighting to Stay in US, Appears in Court in LA, KCRA, July 27, 2021.

• Vicky Gonzalez and Janelle Salanga, Omar Ameen, Insight Podcast, Capital Public Radio, June 29, 2021.

• Clara Long, Human Rights Watch, Detention of Refugee Shows Need for Policy Change, Newsweek, June 7, 2021.

• Tim Miller, The Triad: Neoliberalism’s Death has been Greatly Exaggerated, The Bulwark, May 22, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Sacramento refugee fighting to stay in US sues federal government, KCRA3, May 21, 2021.

• Cres Vellucci, Saga of Iraq Refugee Hounded by ICE Continues — Immigration Hearing Delayed after Government Dumps 500 Pages on Defense Hours before Hearing, Davis Vanguard, May 15, 2021.

•  Sasha Abramsky, Tragedy and Hope on the Western Front, The Nation, May 14, 2021.

• Scott Bixby, Trump Wrongly Jailed Him for Murder. Biden’s Still Holding Him. The Daily Beast, May 14, 2021.

• Bob Egelko, ICE starts proceedings to deport Iraqi man cleared by magistrate of murder accusations, SF Chronicle, May 13, 2021.

• Izzy Greenblatt, Omar Ameen hearing rescheduled to end of July, ABC10, May 13, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Sacramento refugee fighting to stay in US, appears at immigration hearing, KCRA3, May 13, 2021.

•Sonseeahray Tonsall, Omar Ameen’s federal defender discusses his immigration hearing, FOX40, May 13, 2021.

• Cres Vellucci, Supporters at News Conference Slam Biden’s ICE for Trying to Deport Iraq Refugee after Trump’s Jailing — Immigration Hearing Thursday, Davis Vanguard, May 12, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, ‘Their assertion is ludicrous’: Attorneys, community, demand Sacramento man be released from ICE custody, KCRA3, May 11, 2021.

• Eric Escalante, Attorneys for Omar Ameen are calling for his release after US government’s case was ‘obliterated,’ ABC 10, May 11, 2021.

• Cres Vellucci, Iraq Refugee Still Not Free — Bounced by Federal Judge on Trump Charge, Biden’s ICE Snatches Him for Deportation and Death, Davis Vanguard, May 7, 2021.

• Bob Egelko, ICE still seeks to deport Iraqi refugee despite conclusion of innocence in killing, SF Chronicle, May 5, 2021.

Lideres de Sacramento instan a ICE de liberar a Omar Ameen, Telemundo 33, May 3, 2021.

• Daniel Macht, Sacramento Mayor Steinberg, councilmembers call for ICE to release Omar Ameen, KCRA News, May 3, 2021.

• Bridgette Bjorlo, City leaders demand Omar Ameen be released from ICE custody, FOX40, May 3, 2021.

• CJ Werleman, Found Innocent in Court, Omar Ameen Now in ICE Custody Under Same Refuted Charges, Inside Arabia, April 27, 2021.

• Homeland Security Today, An Iraqi Refugee Falsely Accused of Being an ISIS Killer Can Stay in the US, for Now, April 25, 2021.

• David Manoucheri, Timeline: The case of the US vs Omar Ameen, KCRA News, April 23, 2021.

Refugee in Sacramento won’t be extradited to Iraq for alleged ISIS killing, ABC 10, April 21, 2021.

• Michael Anthony Adams and Roberto Daza, An Iraqi Refugee Falsely Accused of Being an ISIS Killer Can Stay in the US, for Now, VICE, April 22, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, After judge orders Iraqi man’s release, agents whisked him to custody in Bakersfield, The Sacramento Bee, April 22, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Sacramento judge refuses to extradite refugee back to Iraq in murder case, The Sacramento Bee, April 21, 2021.

Refugee in Sacramento won’t be extradited to Iraq for alleged ISIS killing, ABC 10, April 21, 2021.

• Don Thompson, Judge rejects US bid to send refugee to Iraq in terror case, AP, April 21, 2021.

• David Manoucheri, Omar Ameen in his own words: Sacramento man accused of being ISIS terrorist sends KCRA 3 a letter, March 26, 2021.

• CJ Werleman, President Biden Must Halt the Extradition of Omar Ameen, Inside Arabia, March 2, 2021.

• Ben Taub, Omar Ameen’s Cell-Phone Records Reveal That He Was Framed, The New Yorker, January 13, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Do cellphone records prove Sacramento ISIS terror suspect is falsely accused of murder?, The Sacramento Bee, December 29, 2020.

• Michael Anthony Adams, Roberto Daza, Lama Al Arian, New Phone Records Could Prove Iraqi Refugee Innocent of Murder, VICE, December 29, 2020.

• Whitney Kimball, Would Facebook Save Your Life if it Could? Gizmodo, February 4, 2020.

• Eric Boehm, The Trump Administration Wants To Deport an Iraqi Refugee for Being an Islamic State Terrorist. The Only Problem? He’s Not, Reason, 22 January 2020. 

• Daniel Larison, The Outrageous Case of Omar Ameen, The American Conservative, 21 January 2020. 

• Megan Cassidy, Facebook, Twitter hold evidence that could save people from prison. And they’re not giving it up, San Francisco Chronicle, January 21, 2020.

• Brandon Rittiman, Phone records may prove Iraqi refugee Omar Ameen innocent in alleged ISIS killing, KXTV ABC 10, January 13, 2020.

• Ben Taub, The Evidence that Could Save Omar Ameen’s Life, The New Yorker, January 27, 2020.

• Tim Miller, We’re Trying to Send a Refugee to Die to Make a Government Lie Seem True, The Bulwark, January 21, 2020.

• Ben Taub, The Fight to Save an Innocent Refugee from Almost Certain Death, The New Yorker, January 20, 2020.

• Sam Stanton, Is this Iraqi Sacramento resident an ISIS killer, or victim of a mentally ill witness?, The Sacramento Bee, December 4, 2019. 

• Sam Stanton, ISIS killer or ‘nicest guy’? Lawyers feud over sending Sacramento man to trial in Iraq, The Sacramento Bee, May 28, 2019.

•Michael Anthony Adams, Omar Ameen Update: Victim’s family speaks up, ABC10, April 12, 2019 (video).

• Sam Stanton, Attorneys: Feds have evidence that exonerates Sacramento man accused of being ISIS fighter, The Sacramento Bee, March 6, 2019.

• Sam Stanton, Can feds use secret court filings to send terror suspect back to Iraq? The Sacramento Bee, December 18, 2018.

• Sam Stanton, Sacramento ISIS suspect denies any involvement, lawyers say, The Sacramento Bee, October 11, 2018.

• Julie Hirschfield-Davis, Trump to Cap Refugees Allowed Into U.S. at 30,000, a Record Low, New York Times, September 17, 2018.

• Tim Miller, The Triad: Neoliberalism’s Death has been Greatly Exaggerated, The Bulwark, May 22, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Sacramento refugee fighting to stay in US sues federal government, KCRA3, May 21, 2021

• Cres Vellucci, Saga of Iraq Refugee Hounded by ICE Continues — Immigration Hearing Delayed after Government Dumps 500 Pages on Defense Hours before Hearing, Davis Vanguard, May 15, 2021.

•  Sasha Abramsky, Tragedy and Hope on the Western Front, The Nation, May 14, 2021.

• Scott Bixby, Trump Wrongly Jailed Him for Murder. Biden’s Still Holding Him. The Daily Beast, May 14, 2021.

• Bob Egelko, ICE starts proceedings to deport Iraqi man cleared by magistrate of murder accusations, SF Chronicle, May 13, 2021.

• Izzy Greenblatt, Omar Ameen hearing rescheduled to end of July, ABC10, May 13, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, Sacramento refugee fighting to stay in US, appears at immigration hearing, KCRA3, May 13, 2021.

•Sonseeahray Tonsall, Omar Ameen’s federal defender discusses his immigration hearing, FOX40, May 13, 2021.

• Cres Vellucci, Supporters at News Conference Slam Biden’s ICE for Trying to Deport Iraq Refugee after Trump’s Jailing — Immigration Hearing Thursday, Davis Vanguard, May 12, 2021.

• Brittany Johnson, ‘Their assertion is ludicrous’: Attorneys, community, demand Sacramento man be released from ICE custody, KCRA3, May 11, 2021.

• Eric Escalante, Attorneys for Omar Ameen are calling for his release after US government’s case was ‘obliterated,’ ABC 10, May 11, 2021.

• Cres Vellucci, Iraq Refugee Still Not Free — Bounced by Federal Judge on Trump Charge, Biden’s ICE Snatches Him for Deportation and Death, Davis Vanguard, May 7, 2021.

• Bob Egelko, ICE still seeks to deport Iraqi refugee despite conclusion of innocence in killing, SF Chronicle, May 5, 2021.

Lideres de Sacramento instan a ICE de liberar a Omar Ameen, Telemundo 33, May 3, 2021.

• Daniel Macht, Sacramento Mayor Steinberg, councilmembers call for ICE to release Omar Ameen, KCRA News, May 3, 2021.

• Bridgette Bjorlo, City leaders demand Omar Ameen be released from ICE custody, FOX40, May 3, 2021.

• CJ Werleman, Found Innocent in Court, Omar Ameen Now in ICE Custody Under Same Refuted Charges, Inside Arabia, April 27, 2021.

• Homeland Security Today, An Iraqi Refugee Falsely Accused of Being an ISIS Killer Can Stay in the US, for Now, April 25, 2021.

• David Manoucheri, Timeline: The case of the US vs Omar Ameen, KCRA News, April 23, 2021.

Refugee in Sacramento won’t be extradited to Iraq for alleged ISIS killing, ABC 10, April 21, 2021.

• Michael Anthony Adams and Roberto Daza, An Iraqi Refugee Falsely Accused of Being an ISIS Killer Can Stay in the US, for Now, VICE, April 22, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, After judge orders Iraqi man’s release, agents whisked him to custody in Bakersfield, The Sacramento Bee, April 22, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Sacramento judge refuses to extradite refugee back to Iraq in murder case, The Sacramento Bee, April 21, 2021.

Refugee in Sacramento won’t be extradited to Iraq for alleged ISIS killing, ABC 10, April 21, 2021.

• Don Thompson, Judge rejects US bid to send refugee to Iraq in terror case, AP, April 21, 2021.

• David Manoucheri, Omar Ameen in his own words: Sacramento man accused of being ISIS terrorist sends KCRA 3 a letter, March 26, 2021.

• CJ Werleman, President Biden Must Halt the Extradition of Omar Ameen, Inside Arabia, March 2, 2021.

• Ben Taub, Omar Ameen’s Cell-Phone Records Reveal That He Was Framed, The New Yorker, January 13, 2021.

• Sam Stanton, Do cellphone records prove Sacramento ISIS terror suspect is falsely accused of murder?, The Sacramento Bee, December 29, 2020.

• Michael Anthony Adams, Roberto Daza, Lama Al Arian, New Phone Records Could Prove Iraqi Refugee Innocent of Murder, VICE, December 29, 2020.

• Whitney Kimball, Would Facebook Save Your Life if it Could? Gizmodo, February 4, 2020.

• Eric Boehm, The Trump Administration Wants To Deport an Iraqi Refugee for Being an Islamic State Terrorist. The Only Problem? He’s Not, Reason, 22 January 2020. 

• Daniel Larison, The Outrageous Case of Omar Ameen, The American Conservative, 21 January 2020. 

• Megan Cassidy, Facebook, Twitter hold evidence that could save people from prison. And they’re not giving it up, San Francisco Chronicle, January 21, 2020.

• Brandon Rittiman, Phone records may prove Iraqi refugee Omar Ameen innocent in alleged ISIS killing, KXTV ABC 10, January 13, 2021.

• Ben Taub, The Evidence that Could Save Omar Ameen’s Life, The New Yorker, January 27, 2020.

• Tim Miller, We’re Trying to Send a Refugee to Die to Make a Government Lie Seem True, The Bulwark, January 21, 2020.

• Ben Taub, The Fight to Save an Innocent Refugee from Almost Certain Death, The New Yorker, January 20, 2020.

• Sam Stanton, Is this Iraqi Sacramento resident an ISIS killer, or victim of a mentally ill witness?, The Sacramento Bee, December 4, 2019. 

• Sam Stanton, ISIS killer or ‘nicest guy’? Lawyers feud over sending Sacramento man to trial in Iraq, The Sacramento Bee, May 28, 2019.

•Michael Anthony Adams, Omar Ameen Update: Victim’s family speaks up, ABC10, April 12, 2019 (video).

• Sam Stanton, Attorneys: Feds have evidence that exonerates Sacramento man accused of being ISIS fighter, The Sacramento Bee, March 6, 2019.

• Sam Stanton, Can feds use secret court filings to send terror suspect back to Iraq? The Sacramento Bee, December 18, 2018.

• Sam Stanton, Sacramento ISIS suspect denies any involvement, lawyers say, The Sacramento Bee, October 11, 2018.

• Julie Hirschfield-Davis, Trump to Cap Refugees Allowed Into U.S. at 30,000, a Record Low, New York Times, September 17, 2018.

Analysis:

• Paul Wickham Schmidt, Judge Tara Naselow-Nahas “Just Says No” to ICE’s Attempted Iraqi Deportation! ImmigrationCourtside.com, March 29, 2022.

• Paul Wickham Schmidt, He Beat the Government Twice in Court — But, After Three Years in Jail Without Being Charged With Any Crime, Omar Ameen Still Can’t Get a Bond from Garland’s Courts, ImmigrationCourtside.com, January 11, 2022.

• Eugene Lee, Defending Omar Ameen, an Innocent Refugee, with Rachelle Barbour, Divided Families Podcast, August 12, 2021. Transcript here.

VOICES: River City, June 1, 2021 (Video accessible here).

The National Security Law Podcast: Episode 153, February 12, 2020.

Pod Save the World: Trump Kills the Middle East Peace Process, January 20, 2020.

Videos:

• Check out our YouTube channel for a playlist of news videos about Omar’s case.

• Curious about the real killers of Ihsan Jasim? Click here for videos and news about them.

#FreeOmarAmeen