Although most of the hundreds of people arrested in the U.S. on criminal charges related to the Sept. 11 terror attacks have been released from jail, most of those who were detained for all reasons - immigration violations as well as criminal charges - remain in custody. These include five young Israeli men, between the ages of 22 and 26, who were arrested on Sep. 11 because they were seen boisterously photographing the burning World Trade Center, but have since been kept in jail - for almost two months - because their visas expired.
For most of this period, they were kept in the maximum-security Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and were transferred to another wing less than two weeks ago. Although their deportation papers were signed six weeks ago, on Sept. 25, there is still no indication as to when they will be released. The father of one is undergoing a cancer-related operation this afternoon, and the family has been hesitant to publicize their son\'s story for fear of aggravating his medical condition. His sister, however, told Arutz-7 that the five are able to contact their families only indirectly, via their attorney in New York. The mother of another of the five, Yaron Shmuel, asks that the Jewish community in New York do what it can to help them.
For most of this period, they were kept in the maximum-security Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and were transferred to another wing less than two weeks ago. Although their deportation papers were signed six weeks ago, on Sept. 25, there is still no indication as to when they will be released. The father of one is undergoing a cancer-related operation this afternoon, and the family has been hesitant to publicize their son\'s story for fear of aggravating his medical condition. His sister, however, told Arutz-7 that the five are able to contact their families only indirectly, via their attorney in New York. The mother of another of the five, Yaron Shmuel, asks that the Jewish community in New York do what it can to help them.