Frank Enwonwu was a Snitch, or rather became a informant when he was busted 22 yrs ago smuggling Heroin for a "Nigerian military officer who offered to buy him a plane ticket". His story is way more complicated than it sounds at first blush. Enwonwu was duped into the smuggling and spent months helping the US bust the higher ups, was never sent to prison, and had a number of Judges say he should be allowed to stay in the USA for a number of reasons. Yet today he is on notice that he could be and will be sent back to Nigeria where numerous influential people have long memorys of what he did.
Now, he weeps in a room at a homeless shelter he shares with his 13-year-old son, fearful that any day he could be sent back to Nigeria to be tortured or killed as drug dealers with long memories seek retribution for his work as an informant.
"Trust me, no one there has forgotten what I did - even after 22 years. I'll be killed there before I even have the ability to see daylight," he said.
This is a incredibly sad and Unamerican story. Frank has been to court numerous times, and many Judges have found for him, yet changes in the Law and ICE are determined to send him to his death. In one case named ENWONWU v. GONZALES I found this ruling that shows some of what Frank is up against. Here is but one section of that ruling that appears to have been ignored in the end. It should shock the conscience of all who are willing to read it through.
The district court also analyzed separately a different ground for relief. It recommended that Enwonwu's "state-created danger" claim -- that his substantive due process rights were violated when the government put him in danger by enticing him to be an informant and then sought to send him to the place where that danger would be most acute -- should succeed. It found that government agents had coerced Enwonwu into serving as an informant by promising him protection, id. at 59, and concluded: "For the executive to subject Enwonwu to the risk of deadly retribution by inducing his cooperation though promises of protection and then force him to face that retribution is utterly egregious and intolerable," id. at 74. The court rejected the DHS' argument that as an alien, Enwonwu had no substantive due process rights, saying: "Enwonwu does not claim a substantive due process right to remain in the United States, but the right to live and the right to be free from state sanctioned torture, the danger of which, he alleges, the executive created." Id. at 70.
So Chertoff, even with this ruling :"For the executive to subject Enwonwu to the risk of deadly retribution by inducing his cooperation though promises of protection and then force him to face that retribution is utterly egregious and intolerable," is set on sending him to his almost certain torture and death. Of course most of us know by now that Bush is more than willing to have others do his dirty work, right or wrong.
To date Enwonwu has spent 5 of the last 11 years in detention while fighting for his life and the ability to raise his 15 yr. old son. Herbert Lemon Jr., the DEA agent that is said to be the one that promised Enwonwu his safety had this typically callous statement about Franks fate.
Lemon said he did tell federal prosecutors that Enwonwu had cooperated, which the agent believes spared Enwonwu from serving jail time. He got a suspended sentence and probation on the heroin charge.
"I think that's the benefit he received for his helping the government," Lemon said.
Lemon said he feels badly for Enwonwu's wife and son who may be left behind in the United States, but said he does not fault the U.S. government for now moving to deport Enwonwu.
"He committed a criminal act, and as such, he has to face the consequences," he said.
I have not counted all the rulings or almost rulings in Franks favor and I'm not sure I could stand to after reading just this one document. What disgusts me more than enough is just this few paragraphs and hopefully it will you too.
Enwonwu came close to being spared deportation in 2005, when U.S. District Judge William Young found the government had a "constitutional duty" to protect Enwonwu.
"The Constitution simply cannot permit (the government) to endanger the life of an alien, promise to protect him, and then cast him aside like refuse when he is no longer useful," Young wrote.
However, Young was unable to issue a ruling in the case because a federal law, the REAL ID Act, made it more difficult for immigrants to get amnesty and also stripped federal district courts of jurisdiction in deportation cases. Ex-Informant Fears Torture if Deported
On MLK Day it is fitting that we focus on one mans injustice and try to do something about it. I have not been able to find out if there is a group trying to help out Frank and his son so if anyone has any info on who we can write to, call, or send support to I would love to add it to this diary. Even when Truthout wrote about this story back in 2005 there was no contact info. I hope we can help bring some justice to Frank and son, it's past time he was able to get on with his life.