Closing Down  Asylum-Seeking Joy-riders

  

Assim Alkhawaja has a story to tell, as does every non-citizen residing on our soil.    I tire of the daily churn of stories which are crafted like a made-for-television Hallmark movie.  So let's add a bit of grit and truth to the article below.  Journalists should engage in full truth - even when the truth brings discomfort.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/21/san-diego-california-ice-arrest

His plight is understood.  But his plight is self-created.  Nobody has "skunked" him.  And the moment that he applied for asylum, his desires were sublimated to the legal system of my nation.  Our legal system is not a fairy godmother.  It is a process.  It is not a concierge service. It is the complex inner working of our Republic with complicated suites of laws and considerations.  He is a face to his family and friends.  Unless he has done something of a hideous nature (the Unabomber comes to mind) he will just present as the latest case on a docket. Because... everybody has a story.  And apparently, nothing sells better than the story of a victimized illegal alien.

Legally, Assim Alkhawala has no right to be here. He is still a citizen of Saudi Arabia. He has not received an award of legal citizenship. And while everyone who comes to America wants to stay in America - we cannot accommodate the monumental demand for the goods and services which surpass our capabilities to respond.  I have always stated that if China were on our southern border instead of Latin America, we would not be in the predicament of today.  Our laws would have been enforced with ample legal teeth. Nobody wants to stare down one billion Chinese. smile

There are elements of Alkhawaja's story which deserve to be unraveled.  Not because he isn't a decent man, but because his perception of his treatment during the deportation process conveys a misunderstanding of the basic treatment model for any demographic in custody of our U.S. government.  He is not a victim of mistreatment, rather, he is being dealt with based on a model of consideration and due process.  Checks and balances are at work in the background.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/21/san-diego-california-ice-arrest

AI provides these statistics.

As of 2026, approximately 1.9 million people are confined in the United States on any given day, representing an incarceration rate of 580 per 100,000 residents.  This total includes roughly 639,000 in state prisons, 639,000 in local jails, 153,238 in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, and 68,990 in immigration detention.

This asylum-seeker speaks of being shackled, treated like an animal during transport.  He was not transported in a cattle car in the dead of winter.  He traveled in a van.  Every single one of the 1.9 million individuals now in our custody (many of them native born Americans) have experienced the same. You are shackled, because it is good policy.  You are transported in a van or a bus, because this is the provision of the state from a fleet of vehicles used for the aforementioned purpose.  If you are in a van, there will be a manifest which denotes your presence.  And when you arrive for your intake at a facility, chain of custody will be handed to the receiving staff.  This is called efficiency, and not victimization.

“It was as if I assassinated the president,” he said."

No, Sir.  You did not assassinate the President.  Had you assassinated our leader, your means of transportation would have most likely involved a hardened vehicle within a larger convoy. And I bet you would have a urinary catheter, be doped up with Haldol, and in a strait jacket....

"During the arrest, the agents took Alkhawaja’s phone, all of his IDs (including his Costco card) and the shoelaces from his shoes, he said."

Yes, Sir. This is standard procedure. When you are released your items will be returned to you.  And if you are on medications for chronic conditions, you will visit a clinic so that a medical chart can be started for you.  

“We’re like cattle, animals,” Alkhawaja said of the center. “The process of transferring the detainee is really unhuman.”

No, Sir.  You were not transported like cattle.  My guess is you have never worked on a cattle ranch during the auction season.

"Inside the facility, Alkhawaja said, officials took the rest of his belongings: his hat, belt, jacket. He was given a uniform to wear for the duration of his stay: navy blue, with “DETAINEE” printed on the back in big block letters."

Yes, Sir.  You are dressed in a distinct manner which differentiates you from staff and guests.  This is a safety issue.

"....it felt like everything cost money: phone calls, snacks, hygiene products."

Yes, Sir.  Everything costs money.  This is why your family can set up an account and deposit money into the commissary.  At the commissary, you can purchase hygiene supplies, snacks, shower sandals, and God knows what.  In Texas, there is a site called "Smart Inmate". (What it really means is "Dumb Parent" - but I digress.)  Your family can set up an account for calls and texts.  (A friend told me she used it once to contact someone, and never did it again.  Some genius is making a lot of money off this venture; and it is designed to drain your life savings....)

Yes.  You entered a machine with a lot of cogs.  And 1.9 million individuals have experienced the same.  But you did have a choice.  You were offered self-deportation and a bit of cash to get you started back in Saudi Arabia.  Most likely, you will be heading home - and I wish you a bright future.

But the news is saturated with these stories.  And in the background, it is the story of my Republic: a nation with law enforcement.... immigration laws... courts... prisons... transitional living housing... women's shelters... drug rehab facilities.  All of this - a mosaic of our legal system.

No more stories for me.  I trust the system to work for the greater good.