Federal immigration authorities are moving forward with the deportation of Somali asylum seekers detained in Anchorage despite legal arguments that Somalia remains too dangerous for return. Rolbe Ahmed Salad, 27, has been in ICE custody since February 5, with his attorney arguing his detention is both unlawful and unnecessary.
Salad, who entered the US through the Mexican border in December 2022, applied for asylum, claiming he feared persecution in Somalia. Authorities initially found his claim credible, but he later lost his asylum case at a hearing where he had no legal representative.
The government ordered his deportation in May 2023, but ICE could not return him to Somalia due to ongoing violence and instability. After reaching the maximum legal detention period, ICE released Salad under an order of supervision in November 2023.
He relocated to Anchorage, where he worked as a caretaker, awaiting his next required check-in with immigration authorities. Following instructions, he flew to San Antonio, Texas, in December 2024 to report as needed, but officials mistakenly classified him as a fugitive after discovering he had moved to Alaska.
His attorney strongly disputes the government’s classification, stating, “fugitives do not spend their savings flying 4,000 miles to report in as directed,” they also argue that his ongoing detention wastes resources, with ICE spending thousands on flights and daily detention costs.
In January, Salad applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which prevents deportation for people from unstable countries, including Somalia. While the Biden administration recently removed Venezuela and Haiti from the TPS list, Somalia remains protected through at least 2026.
Despite this, ICE detained the Somali asylum seeker and transported him between Alaska and Texas for court proceedings. The federal court in Anchorage held a hearing on Salad’s case but has yet to decide his fate.
This news article was originally published by Anchorage Daily News.
