African immigrant who fought deportation leaving U.S.

African immigrant who fought deportation leaving U.S.

AUSTIN — An African immigrant who spent nearly a year in jail while fighting deportation over his involvement in a bloodless coup plans to leave the United States for Ghana.

Samuel Kambo, a fuels analyst and native of Sierra Leone, said the U.S. government won't give him the permission he needs to work legally.

"If I could work and support my family I would continue to fight for my residential status," said Kambo. "But since I cannot work, I decided I have to go somewhere where I can support my family."

Kambo moved to Austin in 1994 to study at the University of Texas under a United Nations-sponsored program. He has been living in Austin for the last 14 years with his wife and four U.S.-born children and worked for the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Before coming to Texas, Kambo was part of a military government that took power in a bloodless coup in Sierra Leone in 1992. He has denied any involvement with the killings, which occurred after his government was in power.

But the government tried to revoke his visa because the U.S. State Department accused him of being involved in the summary executions.

He was released from custody in October after a federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was violating his due process rights.

An immigration judge ruled there was no credible evidence of Kambo's involvement in the killings and said he should be allowed to become a permanent U.S. resident.

But immigration officials continued to appeal the ruling. Late last year, an immigration appeals board ruled that Kambo should be denied permanent residency in the U.S. because there is enough evidence that he was aware of 29 executions that took place in his home country in 1992.

The federal Board of Immigration Appeals said that while Kambo may not have "directly participated in or actively assisted in" the 1992 killings, there is enough evidence to establish that he was "aware of these events and remained passive, continuing to serve in a leadership post" in the provisional government.

In December, Kambo applied for a work visa.

"Up until today, the government has neither approved or denied my application," he said.

The Kambo family plans to leave the United States this month for Ghana. Kambo picked the West African nation because he can go there without visa restrictions and said the country has good public schools.

"The government drove them sick and poor," said Kambo's attorney, Simon Azar-Farr of San Antonio. "I don't think they can afford to fight this anymore. Mentally, physically, financially it has been a huge burden on them. It's unfortunate. It's a guy we ought to have here. No criminal record. Nothing ever proven in court. The government never had any case anyway."

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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
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June 5, 2008 - 7:51 a.m. CDT