Assim Alkhawaja, a 53-year-old originally from Saudi Arabia, finds himself navigating a complex legal situation after being arrested by ICE agents in February while dropping off ride-share passengers at Camp Pendleton military base in San Diego County. Despite holding a valid work permit, having a pending asylum case, maintaining no criminal record, and operating a growing local coffee business called Sands Coffee Roasters, Alkhawaja was detained for eight days and placed in removal proceedings. He now wears a GPS ankle monitor typically reserved for high-risk individuals and must report to immigration officials on a near-weekly basis.
Alkhawaja obtained his doctorate from the University of San Francisco and was working as a Lyft driver for supplemental income when detained. His attorney, Sydney Johnson at a San Diego immigration law firm, characterizes ICE tactics as designed to discourage immigrants from pursuing their cases. According to Johnson, arrest locations and methods vary, ranging from courthouses to Home Depot stores to areas outside schools, but the objective remains consistent.
The arrest occurred amid broader enforcement activity across the region. ICE has removed more than 16,000 people from the San Diego area between January 2025 and April of this year, according to available data. National enforcement efforts have intensified as well, with immigration officials reporting record arrest numbers for immigrants since the beginning of a second term in office.
Alkhawaja describes the experience as emotionally taxing, cycling between his roles as asylum seeker, business owner, and individual attempting to maintain normalcy. He initially anticipated that his professional background and business entrepreneurship would factor favorably into immigration proceedings. The contrast between his courthouse interactions and his work at his coffee operation reflects what he characterizes as a necessary psychological adaptation to his current circumstances.
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