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‘South African terror suspect’ detained in US during Biden presidency now faces deportation under Trump

‘South African terror suspect’ detained in US during Biden presidency now faces deportation under Trump
Former US President Joe Biden. (Photo: Chris Kleponis / EPA-EFE)
Caryn Dolley
By Caryn Dolley
22 Apr 2025
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An illegal immigrant crackdown in Texas in the US in 2024 sparked an investigation into a man who said he was from South Africa and who was subsequently arrested on terror suspicions. The 18-year-old is now in an American detention facility and may be awaiting deportation.

In September 2024, Umar Farooq Ashraf, who is reportedly 18, was detained in Texas with a group of allegedly undocumented immigrants.

He told authorities he was from South Africa and his details, according to United States (US) authorities, triggered an alert that he was possibly the child or spouse of a known or suspected terrorist.

At some point after that, for reasons that have not been publicised, Ashraf was released from custody.

But not for long.

Ashraf was again arrested about three months later, in New York in December 2024, on suspicion of being a terrorist.

On Tuesday, 22 April 2025, Chrispin Phiri, the spokesperson of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, responded to Daily Maverick questions about the matter, saying that “our embassy does not have official notification of this arrest”.

He added: “It should be noted that the department does not have authority to release information without the consent of the person in question or a relevant third party.”

Ashraf’s name — and apparent situation — has been publicised in US media.

Tracked to Texas


Daily Maverick used the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) online detainee locator system and ascertained that Ashraf is probably still being held in the US.

Over a week until Tuesday, 22 April 2025, the locator system showed that an individual named Umar Farooq, whose country of birth was listed as South Africa, was “in ICE custody” at the El Valle Detention Centre in Texas.

Umar Farooq appears to be in a detention centre in the US based on a search on the US's Immigration and Customs Enforcement site. (Screengrab)



If Umar Farooq is indeed Umar Farooq Ashraf, it suggests that he has been detained for four months in Texas since his latest arrest.

In the run-up to this, Ashraf was detained, effectively twice, in the US during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Now he is being held under Donald Trump’s administration, which means he may be facing a tougher time as Trump has taken a much more bullish approach to immigrants and related issues — and to South Africa.

Errors, like mistaken deportations, have been picked up in illegal immigrant crackdowns there.



And Trump took to social media this week to vent, saying: “I’m doing what I was elected to do, remove criminals from our Country, but the Courts don’t seem to want me to do that… even the U.S. Supreme Court, which I have such great respect for, but which seemingly doesn’t want me to send violent criminals and terrorists back to Venezuela, or any other Country, for that matter — People that came here illegally!...

“We cannot give everyone a trial, because to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years. We would need hundreds of thousands of trials for the hundreds of thousands of Illegals we are sending out of the Country. Such a thing is not possible to do. What a ridiculous situation we are in. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The situation surrounding Ashraf can be roughly tracked on the platform X, formerly Twitter.

Terror suspicions flagged


In September last year, Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety, posted on X that troopers intercepted “a group of 36 illegal immigrants” in Normandy, an area there.

He said individuals included “special interest illegal immigrants” from countries including Pakistan, India and Turkey.

“The group from Turkey stated they each paid $12K to cross the Rio Grande & were destined for New Jersey,” Olivarez had said.



His post included a video of the apparently intercepted individuals seated in a vehicle, with each saying which country they were from.

Some say Brazil, a man and woman say Ecuador, another says Colombia. The last person to talk, a young man, announces: “South Africa.”

Olivarez posted an update the next day.



He said 15 “illegal immigrants” had been arrested for criminal trespassing.

Olivarez added: “After screening & jail booking procedures, Troopers received an alert from the Terror Screening Center (TSC) regarding one of the males from South Africa, Umar Farooq Ashraf, as a SUBJECT MAY BE THE SPOUSE OR CHILD OF A KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TERRORIST. 

“Farooq remains in state custody for charges of criminal trespass. DPS will conduct a follow-up investigation on the details surrounding the TSC alert.” 

No further details about alleged terror links were supplied.

Arrested in New York


About three months later, on 17 December, the head of the US’ Border Patrol, Michael Banks, announced on X: “A multi-agency effort led to the arrest of a South African national and suspected terrorist.”

The arrest had happened in Brooklyn, New York.

“Initially detained in Texas for criminal trespassing and based on information available at the time, the individual was released. 

“A further subsequent investigation revealed a positive match on the terrorist watchlist, prompting swift action by USBP (border patrol) agents and personnel at the National Targeting Center,” Banks said. 

“Thanks to the coordination of multiple agencies, this potential threat was located, taken into custody, and is now pending removal.”

Again, no details about the alleged terror links were supplied.



Accompanying Banks’s post was a photograph of the same person Olivarez had referenced and posted an image of, and who was shown in the video saying that he was from South Africa — Ashraf.

Around the time of his arrest, the New York Post had reported that Ashraf had been at a flat with two friends when he was taken into custody.

One of them, Hassan Ali of Spain, had said four officers arrived with an arrest warrant for Ashraf.

US President Donald Trump. (Photo: Chris Kleponis / CNP / Bloomberg via Getty Images)



Joe Biden Former US president Joe Biden. (Photo: Chris Kleponis / EPA-EFE)



“The officers fingerprinted and checked the passports of Ashraf, Ali and another individual in the apartment, which Ali said was owned by their friend, who is currently in Pakistan,” the New York Post report said, adding that Ali believed Ashraf was innocent.

“Ali said Ashraf called him from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center and asked for money and help getting in touch with his family back in South Africa.”

A February update on the matter said Ashraf faced deportation.

Trump and the US ‘invasion’


When Trump was inaugurated in January this year, he made his stance clear on individuals who were in the US unlawfully.

The White House had announced: “After four years of Biden’s open borders, President Donald J. Trump launched an unprecedented crackdown on the illegal immigrants.”

A Trump order, carried on the White House website on 20 January, echoed that, saying: “Over the last 4 years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level. 

“Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing, including potential terrorists, foreign spies, members of cartels, gangs, and violent transnational criminal organizations, and other hostile actors with malicious intent.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akIMaeOzWtM

Trump vowed that his administration would detain “to the maximum extent authorized by law, aliens apprehended on suspicion of violating Federal or State law, until such time as they are removed from the United States”.

Meanwhile, another of Trump’s orders, targeting South Africa, has sparked controversy — he cut off aid to this country.

Trump, who has promoted the false narrative of a genocide in South Africa targeting white farmers, through the order also offered refuge to “Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination”. DM

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