Uber Driver Faces ICE Detainer After Overstaying Visa and Sexual Assault in Texas
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued an arrest detainer against Sameh Mohamad Chami, a 49-year-old illegal immigrant from Lebanon, after he was accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman while working as an Uber driver in Texas.
Chami was arrested by the Friendswood Police Department on August 6 following allegations that he sexually assaulted the young woman during a ride in his vehicle. According to a report from FOX 26 Houston, the 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.
The woman’s family tracked her location and found her in an empty parking lot around 3 a.m., as reported by the Fox News affiliate. The victim told police that Chami had put his hands down her pants, and Friendswood police stated that Chami intentionally ended the ride before dropping the woman off at home.
Chami entered the U.S. on December 2, 2021, under the Biden administration, on a B-2 tourist visa with permission to stay for six months. However, he applied for an extension until December 1, 2022, but failed to depart as required, resulting in his illegal status in the U.S. for over three years.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in a statement to Fox News,