Lukas Niec, a respected polish doctor who moved to the United States in 1979 nearly 40 years ago is facing deportation after the Trump administration denied his attempt to renew his green card.
Niec who is an internal medicine doctor well-known at the hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bronson Methodist Hospital, for his diligent work ethic was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Tuesday.
They then took him to a jail cell where he’s been kept in the dark on whether he would be deported or not.
Niec’s parents moved to America when Niec was 5 years old in 1979. They brought him along with his sister they only packed two suitcases before leaving for America.
“In 1979, my parents, both doctors, left Poland, and took two suitcases and two small children — my brother was five, and I was six, and they came here for a better life for their kids.” Dr. Niec’s sister Iwona Niec-Villaire, told local newspapers.
“He doesn’t even speak Polish,” Ms Niec-Villaire, who is now an attorney, said.
Three Customs officers entered the home and arrested him while he was enjoying a day off with his daughters at a lake home he owns near Kalamazoo.
Bronson Hospital has shown their support for Dr. Niec in a statement on Monday:
“While Bronson Healthcare, like others, respects the laws and regulations concerning United States immigration, we are following the situation surrounding the detention of Dr. Lukasz Niec closely and are doing everything we can to advocate for Dr. Niec.
We have been in contact with our elected representatives and we have our immigration counsel coordinating with Dr. Niec’s attorney to explore all options to secure his prompt release from detention.”
The US Government has seen a sharp rise in arrests over immigration matters in the last year and US immigration services claim that the emphasis made on arrests is for highly dangerous or criminal elements.
Meanwhile, with more arrests, there have been less deportations since the Trump administration took over.
ICE, however, have not commented about Dr. Niec’s case or given any details on why he was targeted for arrest.