Bangladeshi Woman Avoids Deportation After Hunger Strike

NEW HAVEN, CT— A Connecticut woman facing deportation to Bangladesh has been granted a reprieve by federal immigration officials after supporters went on a hunger strike.

Salma Sikandar had been ordered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to leave the country by August 23rd, but the agency is allowing her to reside in the United States until the Board of Immigration Appeals can consider reopening her case.

Sikandar seeks to remain in the country she’s lived in for 18 years with her husband and son, even though her tourist visa expired in 1999.

Her husband, Anwar Mahmud, is among nine supporters who have been on a hunger strike outside Immigration Court in Hartford in recent days.

Governor Dan Malloy, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and other state politicians have also rallied behind Sikander and have organized multiple public demonstrations in support