Maggie and Mohamed Shama. (Courtesy of Maggie Shama)
Maggie Shama thought she and her husband Mohamed Shama had finally cleared their last hurdle. After years of navigating the complex immigration system, they were moments away from securing his legal status.
At the immigration office in Raleigh on Oct. 9, Maggie, who has been married to Shama since 2017, was the first to be interviewed for their marriage-based green card. The officer told her everything looked good, and that unless her husband’s answers drastically differed, their case would be approved, she said.
Relieved, she left the room and walked toward Shama, who was waiting. As he was called in for his turn, she kissed him and said, “We got this,” before taking a seat in the waiting room.
The couple had spent much of their lives together fighting to secure Shama’s legal status, and this was supposed to bring an end to years of uncertainty.
But soon, everything changed.
Despite being told they had passed the interview, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the office and took Shama into custody.
“I was dumbfounded,” Maggie said during a phone interview. “I kept saying, ‘But we were approved. I don’t understand what’s happening.’”
The arrest stems from a prior deportation order dating back years. Though he had followed every legal step to resolve his case, the longtime Durham resident now faces the possibility of being deported to Egypt, the country he left behind years ago.
NC Newsline contacted ICE to confirm Shama’s story. The agency referred us to U.S. Customs and Immigration Services. That agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shama is among immigrants affected by the Trump administration’s expanded deportation policies. The administration has prioritized the removal of anyone with a prior deportation order, even those married to U.S. citizens or with pending legal cases.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 2 million individuals have left the United States in less than 250 days, including an estimated 1.6 million who voluntarily self-deported.
Immigration advocates say the approach has upended families who had been following the legal process for years.
“They just wouldn’t listen,” said Maggie, who suffers from spinal stenosis and depends on Shama for daily care. “Even when our lawyer and the interviewer said he was approved, the ICE agent said, ‘I don’t care. We have an order to deport.’”
Despite her health issues, Maggie has spent the days since the arrest calling lawyers and coordinating with friends to keep Shama’s story visible.
Shama, who has two children from a previous marriage, has lived in North Carolina for more than a decade. He worked his way up to general manager at AMC Theatres in Durham, earning the company’s national 2022 General Manager of the Year award, according to the GoFundMe page, and was recognized by former Durham Mayor Steve Schewel for hiring people with special needs.
“He’s the face of the building,” said Raul Navedo, a close friend and former colleague who met Shama in 2017. “People light up when they see him walking around.”
That same warmth has fueled an outpouring of support since his arrest. Friends and former coworkers quickly rallied around Maggie, launching a GoFundMe that has already surpassed its first goal. The fundraising page outlines Shama’s transfers from the Cary Detention Center to the Alamance County Jail, and then to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia — one of the nation’s largest immigration facilities.
Donations are being used to cover legal fees and family expenses. Organizers say the money will help file motions to stay his deportation, prepare a writ of habeas corpus, and, if necessary, pay for airfare should Shama be forced to self-deport and continue his case from abroad.
The legal path remains uncertain. One attorney said that because a removal order is already in place, a motion to stay has only a slim chance of success; another estimated a 50% chance. That leaves the painful possibility that Shama’s best option may be to self-deport — a move that could separate him from his wife and daughters for years.
The family also fears that if ICE carries out its own removal process, Shama could be sent to another country, since deportation flights to Egypt are rare.
Shama also suffers from health issues, including a suspected case of long COVID, and friends fear his health will worsen in detention.
Maggie said she misses the man who has been a caregiver and a companion all the years. The couple bonded over their shared love of movies, especially the comedy series Only Murders in the Building.
“It’s just so quiet in this house, it’s unbearable,” Maggie said through tears. “We crack each other up. It’s just what we do. I miss going to the movies with him, because that’s how we bonded. I miss the smell of his cologne; I miss his smile. I just miss everything.”
“At this point, it’s just, keep fighting,” she added.” We’re just gonna keep fighting and hope for the best.”
Here is a link to Shama’s GoFundMe.
Hence then, the article about durham couple s hope turns to heartbreak after routine immigration interview ends in arrest was published today ( ) and is available on NC news line ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Durham couple’s hope turns to heartbreak after routine immigration interview ends in arrest )
Also on site :
- Brighton student guilty of raping multiple women
- Nordstrom Rack Has a 'Gorgeous' $240 Wrap Coat on Sale for Just $100 — and It Comes in 4 Colors
- The Predator in the Church Basement