opb A Palestinian resident of Vancouver, Washington, was scheduled to be on a flight to the West Bank via Tel Aviv, Israel on Sept. 9 — marking the U.S. government’s third attempt this year to remove him from the country. Tareq Zakarneh's case has sparked protests from advocates who argue Zakarneh’s life will be in danger if he’s sent to the occupied Palestinian territory amid escalating conflicts with Israeli settlers and military forces. Zakarneh, 44, has been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention for more than two years, primarily at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. As of Thursday afternoon, he was at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. When reached by phone there, Zakarneh told OPB that ICE agents beat him after he refused to board the flight on Wednesday. Read more at the link in bio. Reporting by Elena Neale-Sacks/OPB Pictured: Tareq Zakarneh, a Palestinian resident of Vancouver, Washington, has been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention since May 2024. (Courtesy of Jason Ohmann) View all 49 comments