Jamal Fadel, a human rights activist who fled torture in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, now faces deportation after being detained by ICE at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. His attorney, Rafael Ureña, warns Fadel will face grave human rights violations if returned to Morocco.
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Jamal Fadel, a prominent nonviolent human rights activist from the Moroccan-occupied territory of Western Sahara, remains in federal immigration detention after being seized by ICE agents in New York on August 25, 2025. Fadel is now represented by Brooklyn-based immigration attorney Rafael Ureña of Ureña & Associates, who is fighting to prevent his deportation to Morocco, where he faces a credible threat of imprisonment, torture, or worse.
Fadel, originally from the occupied city of Boujdour in Western Sahara, has been an outspoken advocate for the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination since his high school years. His peaceful activism against Morocco's occupation led to repeated threats from Moroccan authorities, ultimately forcing him to flee and seek political asylum in the United States. He is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania.
The detention occurred after Fadel attended a routine immigration hearing at Manhattan's federal building at 26 Federal Plaza. Video footage captured masked ICE agents seizing Fadel as he protested, "This is the freedom! I'm coming to my process immigration."
"Jamal Fadel is a peaceful human rights advocate who has endured torture, imprisonment, and systemic persecution simply for defending the dignity of his people," said Ureña, who has successfully represented clients in numerous high-profile immigration cases and has been featured in Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Law360 for his advocacy work. "Deporting him would not only violate international law—it would send him directly back into the hands of those who have already tried to silence him through brutality."
The Human Rights Context
Western Sahara, considered by the United Nations to be Africa's last colony, has been under Moroccan occupation since 1975. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have extensively documented systematic human rights abuses in the territory, including torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and suppression of peaceful pro-independence activism.
The United Nations, African Union, and European Union do not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In October 2024, the European Court of Justice ruled that EU trade agreements with Morocco violated the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
Ureña emphasized the gravity of the situation: "The Moroccan government has made clear that Jamal is a target. His case is a test of whether the United States will stand by its promise to protect those who flee persecution and fight for justice with courage and principle."
Background on Western Sahara
Western Sahara has been the subject of a territorial dispute since Spain withdrew from the region in 1975. Morocco has maintained control over most of the territory, while the Polisario Front, representing the indigenous Sahrawi people, has sought independence. The UN has called for a referendum on self-determination for over 50 years, but it has yet to be held.
Human rights defenders in Western Sahara face systematic repression. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Sahrawis who peacefully advocate for self-determination risk intimidation, surveillance, arbitrary arrest, torture, and lengthy imprisonment. Morocco has refused to allow the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Western Sahara since 2015.
About Ureña & Associates
Ureña & Associates, PLLC is a premier immigration law firm based in Brooklyn, New York, with a proven track record of success in complex immigration matters. Attorney Rafael Ureña has represented clients in federal and state courts across a wide spectrum of cases and has successfully prevented hundreds of deportations. He has persuaded courts to award some of the largest preservations of immigrant visas in history and has been recognized for his work on travel ban litigation and diversity visa cases.
Media Contact
Rafael Ureña, Ureña & Associates, 1 703-989-4424, [email protected], https://www.urenaesq.com/
SOURCE Ureña & Associates
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