Hibernians rally behind Malachy McAllister

Posted By: June 05, 2020

 

Irish Echo. June 1, 2020

As he faces potential deportation from the United States at the end of this week, Malachy McAllister is receiving concentrated support from the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

In a letter to Hibernians around the U.S., National President Judge James McKay has urged action in support of McAllister, who is a member of the order.

Stated Judge McKay in a letter to AOH members: “Our Hibernian oath commits calls us to action ‘If a brother should be defamed, or be treated unjustly, I will espouse his cause, give him the earliest possible advice and aid him when in distress.’ 

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We need to give action to these noble words in the case of Brother Malachy McAllister, who is facing deportation this Friday, June 5, 2020.

The online letter continued: As a youth, as were many of his generations during ‘The Conflict’ Malachy was arrested and incarcerated contrary to any recognized standard of due process. Malachy fulfilled his sentence, being released early for good behavior.

“Despite having forsworn violence and dedicating himself to peacefully raising his family, Malachy was targeted by members of a loyalist paramilitary who sprayed his home with submachine gunfire, narrowly missing his innocent children and mother-in-law who were the only occupants of the house at the time.

“As so many fleeing violence and persecution from so many countries have successfully done before, Malachy fled to the United States seeking asylum. Since entering the United States, Brother McAllister has complied with all U.S, legal procedures.

“During the process, Brother McAllister has created two successful job-producing businesses, and, due to the untimely death of his first wife, has raised two families with children and grandchildren, who are U.S. citizens. Following in the footsteps of so many previous Irish immigrants, Malachy has shown his gratitude to his adopted country by being a productive and contributing member of the community.

“Throughout Malachy’s asylum application and appeals process, Judges have expressed their frustration that their rulings were constrained by laws that did not anticipate a scenario such as the McAllister family. This frustration articulated eloquently by Judge Maryann Trump Barry, the President’s sister, who stated in her ruling: ‘It simply should not be that particularly in the circumstances such as those we now have before us, the individual and his individuality are large, if not entirely, irrelevant, lost in a sea of dispositive definitions and harsh and complex laws. And we cannot be the country we should be if, because of the tragic events of September 11, we knee-jerk remove decent men and women merely because they may have erred at one point in their lives. We should look a little closer; we should care a little more. I would ask — no, I would implore — the Attorney General to exercise his discretion and permit this deserving family to stay.’

“We ask each member to take 5 minutes to help another Brother by calling the White House switchboard asking President Trump to head his sister’s call to let the McAllister family stay in the United States. If you are on social media, please tweet or share our Twitter message to the President.”

The letter from Judge McKay includes example texts to be sent to the White House.