Honorable Michigan State Representatives and Senators:

We are writing to ask you to STOP the deportation of Iraqi Christians, specifically, Iraqi Chaldean Christian and US Army Veteran, Nahidh Shaou.

We are his mother, sisters, family, friends and concerned citizens.

The state of Iraq is dire and rife with sectarianism and violence. ISIS specifically targets and murders Christians and seeks to eradicate all religious minorities from the country. If the US government deports Iraqi Christians back to Baghdad, directly into the hands of ISIS, it is committing an inhumane crime.

President Trump declares he seeks to protect Christian minorities in the Middle East. The US government can first help Iraqi Christians by not deporting them into the lion's den of Baghdad.

This is the story of Nahidh Shaou. He immigrated to America at the tender age of five years old and has lived in America ever since. Dedicated and patriotic to his new home, he voluntarily enlisted in the US Army as a teenager and was deployed to Korea.

His father died while he was overseas in Korea. When Nahidh returned to America for his father's funeral, he suffered from depression, guilt, anxiety and PTSD. He received an honorable discharge and returned back to Michigan to take care of his mother and siblings. His mother was then diagnosed with cancer in her early 40's and Nahidh stuggled to provide for the family.

Unfortunately, under the weight of his circumstances and PTSD, he committed a serious crime and served 35 years in Michigan state prisons. Nahidh quickly reformed, was a model inmate, and even received a college degree and a Certificate of Welding while he was incarcerated. Nahidh's dream is to attain a PhD in welding.

Unfortunately, Nahidh was not afforded American citizenship, therefore making him eligible for deportation. Six months ago, he was finally released from prison but was detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE).

On Monday morning, April 10th, 2017, he was escorted to a holding location in preparation to be deported back to Iraq, a country that he does not even remember.

All of his family members are American Citizens living in America;he does not know a single Iraqi in Iraq. He only speaks English and will be unable to survive in the war zone of Iraq, especially as ISIS hunts for Christians in the country. If deported to Iraq, he will be deported to his death.

Nahidh does not have an Iraqi Passport or any Iraqi identification documents. The Iraqi Government has provided a signed, sworn affidavit stating they cannot prove his Iraqi nationality and do not want him to be deported back to Iraq.

We plead on his behalf to STOP the deportation of US Army Veteran Nahidh Shaou to Baghdad. Please help protect Iraqi Christians and don't let Nahidh be deported into the hands of ISIS.

Sincerely,

The Iraqi Christian Community and concerned citizens.