Flemington man held by ICE has exhausted all appeals

✅ Karim Daoud has been in the U.S. for over 20 years

✅ He is an 'overstay' who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa

✅ ICE says Daoud has exhausted all due process and appeals

FLEMINGTON — A father of two taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents does not have a criminal background but has overstayed his welcome in the United States.

Karim Daoud has been detained at the Elizabeth ICE detention center since March 12, when he went to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office to pick up documents to fulfill his work authorization requirement, according to a GoFundMe campaign.

After being told there was a "mistake" that needed to be cleared up at ICE's Newark facility, Daoud was taken into custody.

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J. 8th District, visited with Daoul on Thursday. During that visit, Kim asked about Daoul's criminal history and why he was being held.

"He has spent 21 years in the United States, married to a U.S. citizen, two U.S. citizen kids, and ICE themselves told me he has no criminal background, no criminal history," Kim said on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer."

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Daoul is an 'overstay'

ICE in a statement to NJ Spotlight News said Daoul is being held "for violating U.S. immigration laws" and is "pending removal from the U.S."

"U.S. immigration laws allow aliens to pursue relief from removal and Mr. Daoud has exhausted all due process and appeals and is now subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge. ICE must carry out removal orders," read the statement.

Karim entered the United States with a tourist visa and decided to stay in the United States, according to the GoFundMe. He is an "overstay" married to an American citizen with two United States citizen children. Under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services laws and policy if someone is in the country after their period of authorization they are considered "inadmissible based on your accrual of unlawful presence."

The GoFundMe campaign argues that Daoul "has always worked, paid his taxes, helped his neighbors, and is an all-around upstanding member of the community."

Karim’s wife, Jenn was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. His 10-year-old son has been battling ulcerative colitis for many years.

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