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US immigration frees Musharraf´s nephew
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2003 -- The nephew of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was released yesterday by US immigration officials after being held for 16 days for violating his visa.
Aamir Javed Musharraf´s six-month visa was issued in 1994.
Musharraf was detained on Feb. 19 when he went to register at an immigration office in Memphis. He was required to register under an antiterrorism program that targets male citizens of a number of countries that include Pakistan.
´´He reported . . . on Feb. 19 as required by law, and he was detained because he had overstayed his visa,´´ said Bill Strassberger, spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Musharraf was released yesterday but his case is still being decided. He could be deported back to Pakistan or allowed to stay in the United States.
He was one of about 1,745 foreigners in the United States who were detained after registering under the antiterrorism program. The length of Musharraf´s detention -- 16 days -- is about average, Strassberger said.
As of March 4, 122,510 people had registered under the program, which has been criticized for unfairly targeting Middle Eastern men.
The program requires the visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter the United States.
Foreign visitors from the targeted countries who were already in the United States were required to register at immigration centers by specific dates.
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2003 -- The nephew of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was released yesterday by US immigration officials after being held for 16 days for violating his visa.
Aamir Javed Musharraf´s six-month visa was issued in 1994.
Musharraf was detained on Feb. 19 when he went to register at an immigration office in Memphis. He was required to register under an antiterrorism program that targets male citizens of a number of countries that include Pakistan.
´´He reported . . . on Feb. 19 as required by law, and he was detained because he had overstayed his visa,´´ said Bill Strassberger, spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Musharraf was released yesterday but his case is still being decided. He could be deported back to Pakistan or allowed to stay in the United States.
He was one of about 1,745 foreigners in the United States who were detained after registering under the antiterrorism program. The length of Musharraf´s detention -- 16 days -- is about average, Strassberger said.
As of March 4, 122,510 people had registered under the program, which has been criticized for unfairly targeting Middle Eastern men.
The program requires the visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter the United States.
Foreign visitors from the targeted countries who were already in the United States were required to register at immigration centers by specific dates.
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