Judicial Rebuke to DHS Sends Message re Citizenship, Muslims, Good Moral Character

"A nearly five-year legal saga will conclude Thursday for Falls Church resident Jamal Abusamhadaneh when he takes the oath of citizenship at a federal courthouse, after a federal judge ruled that immigration authorities wrongly drew sinister conclusions about aspects of his Muslim faith.  Abusamhadaneh’s naturalization follows last month’s unusual ruling that overturned the denial of his application by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  USCIS had denied the application and expressed concerns about Abusamhadaneh’s association with a prominent Virginia mosque and a purported link to the Muslim Brotherhood.  U.S. District Judge James Cacheris, who heard three days of evidence at trial earlier this year and issued an unusually detailed 90-page ruling, will personally administer the oath Thursday. He said USCIS’ concerns on all counts were either unfounded or overblown.  “Mr. Abusamhadaneh is a person of good moral character and meets the requirement for naturalization,” Cacheris wrote.  Abusamhadaneh, who first applied for citizenship in February 2008, did not respond to an email seeking an interview. Through his lawyers, he provided a statement: “I am thankful that Judge Cacheris vindicated me in this long and heart-wrenching process. For me citizenship is not just a process but a concept of justice, freedom and happiness.”  “He’s happy that the judge ruled in his favor,” said one of his attorneys, Denyse Sabagh. “He’s happy that, as a matter of law, a judge determined he’s a person of good moral character.”" - Associated Press, July 25, 2012.