Assim Alkhawaja, 53, a coffee-shop owner with a valid work permit and a pending asylum application, was arrested at Camp Pendleton in February, detained for eight days at Otay Mesa and released on bond with a GPS ankle monitor. His attorney warns that shifting immigration rules create a "gray area" where work authorization does not guarantee protection. Community fundraising and local support have followed, and his next hearing is in October.Assim Alkhawaja, a 53-year-old coffee-shop owner and asylum seeker, was arrested at the Camp Pendleton gate in February, spent eight days in ICE detention at Otay Mesa and is now required to wear a bulky GPS ankle monitor while facing removal proceedings. Arrest at Camp Pendleton Alkhawaja, who was dropping off two Lyft passengers when base guards asked to see his ID, says a routine scan led to ICE agents being called. Although he holds a valid work permit (valid through February 2030) and has a pending asylum application filed in 2024, agents handcuffed him, shackled his wrists and ankles together, confiscated his phone and personal items and transported him to a downtown office before moving him to Otay Mesa detention that night. Detention and Monitoring He spent eight days at Otay Mesa, where he says conditions felt dehumanizing: personal belongings taken, uniforms labeled “DETAINEE,” limited nighttime restroom access, communal television and costly phone calls. After release on bond, ICE fitted him with a GPS ankle monitor and ordered near-weekly check-ins with immigration officials. Professional and Personal Background Alkhawaja runs Sands Coffee Roasters, a family-run business that began as a cart and expanded into a brick-and-mortar shop. He holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco and says he filed for asylum because he feared for his safety in his country of origin. He is Palestinian by heritage and was raised in Saudi Arabia. Both he and his attorney have asked that specific asylum details be withheld for safety reasons. Legal Context Sydney Johnson, the associate attorney representing Alkhawaja, says his case illustrates a widening “gray area” in immigration enforcement: obtaining an employment authorization document while an asylum case is pending does not guarantee protection from detention or removal proceedings. She warns that enforcement tactics — arrests at courthouses, workplaces, schools and military installations — can discourage people from pursuing their claims. “You can do everything right and you can still get screwed,” Johnson said. Government Response A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described Alkhawaja as "a criminal illegal alien from Saudi Arabia" and pointed to an unrelated 2002 arrest for disorderly conduct. Alkhawaja and his attorney say that 2002 incident did not result in a conviction and is irrelevant to his asylum claim. The DHS spokesman added that all claims will be adjudicated by a judge. Community Support Since his arrest, a GoFundMe page has raised money for his legal and living expenses, and local residents — including a group of mothers — have visited his shop to show support. Customers have left messages of solidarity and continue to patronize the store, which displays family photos and a piece of traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery bearing the Arabic blessing, "May Allah protect you." Wider Enforcement Trends Alkhawaja’s experience comes amid intensified ICE activity: officials report more than 16,000 removals from the San Diego region between January 2025 and April of this year, and a nationwide uptick in arrests during the summer months. What’s Next Alkhawaja’s next immigration hearing is scheduled for October. He says his hope is to remain, continue operating Sands Coffee Roasters and rebuild a stable life: "I want here to be home," he told a reporter. For now, he returns regularly for immigration check-ins and lives with the uncertainty of the pending case.Help us improve.