A Bangladeshi chemistry professor living in the US who was at risk of deportation has been granted a temporary stay, his lawyers said.
Federal Judge Glen Baker issued a stay order on Wednesday and gave the Department of Homeland Security until February 15 to respond to a motion to stay the deportation and reopen migration proceedings, reported AP.
Syed Ahmed Jamal, 55, was arrested on January 24 at his home in Lawrence, Kansas by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and was held at a detention centre.
The incident of his arrest came as a shock to the local community in Kansas City, where Jamal has been living for more than 30 years.
According to his family members, Ahmed went to the US in 1987 to attend Kansas University on a student visa, and went on to attain graduate degrees in molecular bioscience and pharmaceutical engineering.
Also Read - Bangladeshi chemistry professor detained in US, may face deportation
He then worked at the Children’s Mercy Hospital on an H1B visa for highly skilled workers, but later he switched back to a student visa to enrol in a PhD course.
His lawyer, Jeffrey Y Bennett, said Ahmed lost his visa status in 2011, and an immigration judge put him on “voluntary departure” notice.
He continued to stay in the US under a provision called “prosecutorial discretion”. Under the provision he was given a temporary work permit. However, he had to report to immigration officials regularly.
Currently, Jamal teaches at Park University in Missouri. He and his Bangladeshi wife have three children, all of whom are US citizens by birth.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
