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FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday lodged an arrest detainer against an illegal immigrant from Lebanon accused of kidnapping his Uber passenger in Texas.
Sameh Mohamad Chami, 49, was arrested by Friendswood Police Department on Aug. 6 after allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman while working as an Uber driver, according to a report from affiliate FOX 26 Houston.
The 21-year-old victim fell asleep in the backseat of Chami’s car after a late night at a Galveston saloon and reportedly woke up in the front seat of his car parked near a school with her shorts unbuttoned.
Sameh Mohamad Chami, an illegal immigrant, is charged with aggravated kidnapping of an Uber passenger. (DHS)
ICE LODGES DETAINER AGAINST ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, SEXUALLY ASSAULTING NEIGHBOR IN TEXAS
The woman’s family was following her location and tracked her to an empty parking lot at about 3 a.m., according to the report. She told police she remembered Chami putting his hands down her pants.
Friendswood police said Chami intentionally ended the ride before dropping the woman off at home, FOX 26 reported.
The suspect was allegedly working as an Uber driver at the time of the sexual assault, according to police. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Chami entered the U.S. on Dec. 2, 2021, under the Biden administration, on a B-2 tourist visa with permission to remain for six months, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
He applied for and was granted an extension until Dec. 1, 2022, but failed to depart as required and has remained in the U.S. illegally for more than three years, DHS said.
ICE agents placed an immediate detainer on the suspect to prevent him from being released back into the community, according to DHS. (Getty Images)
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“ICE lodged an arrest detainer against Sameh Mohamad Chami—a criminal illegal alien let into our country by Joe Biden,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement to Fox News. “This depraved criminal was charged with aggravated kidnapping after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 21-year-old girl who was a passenger in his Uber car. President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem unleashed our brave law enforcement to take down these sickos and to protect women from sexual predators.”
The detainer was issued on the day of Chami’s arrest to ensure he is transferred to ICE custody and not released into American neighborhoods, according to DHS.
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“President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the U.S.,” DHS wrote in a statement.