We pledge to stand together with Ravi Ragbir and his wife Amy Gottlieb. We need Ravi here in New York City. He is our ally, our mentor, our advocate, our friend, our family. He is vital to our community's well-being. We pledge to do everything we are able to keep Ravi here in New York.
Why is this important?
We the undersigned, request that ICE extend Ravi Ragbir’s request for prosecutorial discretion. Long time resident, community activist, father, and husband, Ravi Ragbir, faces permanent exile from his life in the US. A green card holder since 1994, Ravi has worked as an organizer to protect the rights of all immigrants, including through the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City.
Ravi experienced the worst of the deportation system. An immigration judge ordered Ravi deported without granting him a hearing on the issue, denying Ravi the opportunity to present evidence of his character and strong community ties. He was detained for years in New Jersey and Alabama, far from his community and his young daughter. Ravi’s case underscores one of the fundamental flaws of our broken immigration system: the need to reform our deportation laws, including by allowing judges to exercise discretion in a case based on the facts presented. Before 1996, judges had the discretion to weigh all of the relevant facts in a case before deporting an immigrant. One of the major injustices in Ravi's case is that, during his removal proceedings, the judge was prohibited from considering whether Ravi should be allowed to stay in the U.S. because our current law forbids it.
After securing his release from indefinite immigration detention, Ravi continued to challenge the immigration judge’s order and became active in supporting other immigrants who were facing similar challenges. Through that activism, he met, fell in love with, and eventually married, Amy Gottlieb, a U.S. Citizen and fellow immigrant rights activist. Despite being eligible to adjust his status to that of permanent resident based on his marriage, the Board of Immigration Appeals’ denied Ravi’s request for an opportunity to be heard. Ravi is currently pursuing new legal avenues to reopen his immigration case so that he can remain in the U.S., the place he has called home for over twenty years, with his wife and daughter.
His deportation would be tragic for his wife, Amy, his daughter, Deborah, and the community that loves and respects him. Please take the necessary steps to keep Ravi here with his community.
