Last month’s re-arrest of Youssef Megahed still has the local Muslim community simmering – and a lot of other folks still shaking their heads about the feds seemingly coming down with a classic case of vindictiveness. Recall that three days after the former USF student was found not guilty of explosives possession he was arrested again – this time by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A deportation hearing is still pending.
The rationale for the immigration charges, upon further reflection, still seems like a legal system temper tantrum. To many observers, most of them non-Muslims, this is how, in effect, it must have played out:
“We have a 2 ½ -week trial with a bunch of witnesses and more than 100 pieces of evidence. This is after this guy’s USF pal, Ahmed Mohamed, pleads guilty to providing material support to terrorists and gets 15 years in a plea deal. But Megahed? Oh, he was just cruising aimlessly and cluelessly in South Carolina with his Muslim buddy, the convicted terrorist wannabe! And a jury buys that? You gotta be kidding! Let’s go the civil route this time. He’s over at Wal-Mart. ICE him.”