State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis, and Assemblyman Roy Freiman, all D-Hunterdon, joined friends, family, and supporters of Flemington community figure Karim Daoud for a vigil on the evening of Thursday, April 17, at Stangl Factory in Flemington.
The event was held to celebrate his impact on the town’s residents and call for his release from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Elizabeth.
“Tonight has turned out to be such an emotional evening,” said Jenn Metz, Daoud’s wife. “The amount of people that have come out in support of my husband … I can’t even tell you how it makes me feel inside. Karim has been so loved, so supported, so needed in this community as well as our family. Our family needs him so badly, and we really need him home and we need him home soon.”
Daoud, a married father of two who has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, was detained on March 12 when he went to an appointment to pick up work authorization documents. According to a family friend, he has been working on getting his citizenship, but the process has been taking years to complete. The vigil was attended by hundreds of people and organized through a ”Free Karim” Facebook page.
“We’ve heard from so many tonight about the joy that Karim brings to his friends, family, and neighbors throughout Flemington,” Zwicker said. “The federal government trampling over the rights of anyone is outrageous, and the sheer number of people who’ve shown up tonight to speak to Karim’s character proves his case is no exception. This is not the story of a man who deserved to be ripped from the arms of his community. This is the story of a hard-working, compassionate man who has earned his place in this country.”
“This evening, it is clear to see how valued Karim is to our community,” Drulis said. “Navigating the immigration system in this country is rarely easy. We should not be targeting well-meaning, contributing community members, like Karim, who are making a good faith effort to follow the rules, get their paperwork in order, and remain in this country with their family.”
Freiman said that “A clerical error should not mean you have no place in this country, especially when it comes to someone like Karim who, as we see in this room, is a treasured member of the community. It is my hope that due process will prevail and Karim will be able to return to his family and continue to serve our community.”
Since being detained in March, friends and supporters have advocated for Daoud across social media. The “Free Karim” Facebook page has achieved more than 1,000 likes and 2,500 followers. A video of Sen. Zwicker speaking on Daoud’s case has been watched more than 100,000 times across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. A GoFundMe page to support Daoud’s family and fund his legal defense has raised more than $91,561 as of Friday.
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