POLITICAL REFUGEE. WE’RE LIKE OVERWHELMED WITH LIKE EXCITEMENT. I CAN’T EVEN LIKE I’VE BEEN STILL LIKE I NEED TO SEE HIM, PINCH HIM AND ALSO KNOW THAT YES, YOU ARE OUT, BUT AS OF RIGHT today, THE PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. CECILIA LEZOTTE, SPEAKING OF HER BROTHER PAUL DAMA DAMA WAS ARRESTED BY ICE AGENTS BACK IN JUNE IN BROCKTON WALKING TO CHURCH. HE’S BEEN IN FEDERAL CUSTODY EVER SINCE. AS IT STANDS RIGHT today. HE HAS BEEN GRANTED ASYLUM AND WE’RE JUST WAITING FOR THE PAPERWORK TO GO THROUGH AND THEN HOPEFULLY GET THAT PHONE CALL TO SAY, OKAY, COME PICK ME UP. DAMA WAS LIVING HERE WHILE SEEKING ASYLUM FROM HIS HOME COUNTRY OF NIGERIA. THE VOTING PROCESS IS GOING ON SMOOTHLY WITHOUT ANY CHALLENGES. THIS IS HIM WORKING AS A TV NEWS REPORTER THERE. HIS SISTER SAYS HE WAS KIDNAPED AND LATER RELEASED BY THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BOKO HARAM AND FLED TO THE U.S. FOR SAFETY. NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA, THE BRIBERY, WHAT BOKO HARAM STANDS FOR. AND SO HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE IN THE IN THE EYE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE TARGETING HIM. LIZOTTE OWNS SUYA JOINT IN NUBIAN SQUARE, WHERE HER BROTHER ALSO WORKED AS A MANAGER. SHE RALLIED THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORT AND YESTERDAY AN IMMIGRATION JUDGE RULING IS GRANTED ASYLUM, MEANING HE SHOULD SOON BE RELEASED. I AM PRAYING THAT THIS IS HOPEFULLY BEHIND US AND today IT’S JUST LIKE STORY THAT WE’RE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT, AND THEN ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PAUL WHEN HE COMES OUT TO HELP AND ADVOCATE FOR THOSE THAT WERE IN HIS SHOES. SO AGAIN, LIZOTTE SAYS, THEY’RE JUST WAITING FOR THE PAPERWORK TO BE DONE, AND THEN THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK HIM UP AS EARLY AS TOMORROW, AND THEN HE SHOULD BE COMING HERE SOON AFTER THAT TO SUE THE JOINT WHERE HE USED TO WORK. WE’RE LIVE HERE IN NUBIAN
The manager of a popular restaurant in Boston has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after he was granted asylum earlier this week. Paul Dama, a Nigerian journalist who fled to the U.S. seeking asylum after being kidnapped by Boko Haram, was in federal custody since June.Dama’s sister, Cecelia Lizotte, who owns Suya Joint in Roxbury and a popular food truck, said he was arrested while walking to church in Brockton despite having a valid asylum claim and a recently renewed worker authorization valid until 2029. He’s the operations manager at the Nubian Square restaurant.”We’re overwhelmed with excitement, still like need to see him, pinch him to also know that yes, you are out, but as of right today the prayers have been answered,” Lizotte said on Wednesday after he was granted asylum. Dama was living in the U.S. while seeking asylum from Nigeria, where he worked as a TV news reporter. Lizotte said he was kidnapped and later released by Boko Haram and fled to the U.S. for safety.A federal judge ruled Dama had a legitimate fear of persecution in Nigeria, and he can live in the U.S. as a political refugee.”I am praying that this is hopefully behind us, and is just a story that we’re just going to speak about and an opportunity for Paul when he comes out, to advocate for those who are in his shoes,” Lizotte said.
The manager of a popular restaurant in Boston has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after he was granted asylum earlier this week.
Paul Dama, a Nigerian journalist who fled to the U.S. seeking asylum after being kidnapped by Boko Haram, was in federal custody since June.
Dama’s sister, Cecelia Lizotte, who owns Suya Joint in Roxbury and a popular food truck, said he was arrested while walking to church in Brockton despite having a valid asylum claim and a recently renewed worker authorization valid until 2029. He’s the operations manager at the Nubian Square restaurant.
“We’re overwhelmed with excitement, still like need to see him, pinch him to also know that yes, you are out, but as of right today the prayers have been answered,” Lizotte said on Wednesday after he was granted asylum.
Dama was living in the U.S. while seeking asylum from Nigeria, where he worked as a TV news reporter. Lizotte said he was kidnapped and later released by Boko Haram and fled to the U.S. for safety.
A federal judge ruled Dama had a legitimate fear of persecution in Nigeria, and he can live in the U.S. as a political refugee.
“I am praying that this is hopefully behind us, and is just a story that we’re just going to speak about and an opportunity for Paul when he comes out, to advocate for those who are in his shoes,” Lizotte said.
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