The tranquility of an immigration interview turned into a nightmare for the Shama family. Maggie Shama says that during her appointment at immigration on October 9, they told her that everything seemed to be fine and that, barring very different responses from her husband, her case would be approved.

But a short time later, ICE agents entered the building and arrested Mohamed Shama, though Maggie insists, “We got approved, I don’t understand what’s going on.”

How Mohamed Shama’s Arrest Happened

The sequence, according to Maggie’s account and documented by NC Newsline, began when Maggie was first interviewed. The officer stated that his end of the procedure was correct. Shortly after, she approached Mohamed to hold his hand before he entered his interview. There she told him, “We got this.”

But after leaving her interview, Maggie learned that ICE had entered the building and taken Mohamed into custody, without warning or immediate explanation. “I was shocked… I kept asking myself, ‘But did they approve us?’”

Following his arrest, Mohamed has been transferred between several facilities: first to the Cary Detention Center, then to the Alamance County Jail, and later to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. The arrest has generated significant community outreach, with friends and acquaintances raising funds for legal fees and family support.

Official Positions on the Detention

ICE was contacted to confirm the Shamas’ account but referred the request to USCIS, which has not yet provided a public response. Local media has indicated that authorities maintain that Mohamed was subject to a pre-existing immigration order, which allowed for his detention despite the recent interview.

There has been no public confirmation yet that ICE or USCIS accept that the interview was a formal sign of approval. The agency has remained silent on the specific details of his case.While there is speculation that recent immigration processes do not protect against old orders in force.

Maggie and Mohamed's life in the US

Mohamed Shama is originally from Egypt and has resided in Durham, North Carolina, for more than a decade. During that time, he worked at the AMC Theatres chain, where he rose to become general manager, earning national recognition as "Manager of the Year" in 2022.

Maggie, his wife since 2017, suffers from spinal stenosis and relies partially on Mohamed for support and care. For years, they have fought the immigration process together, filing for a green card based on marriage, in the hopes of regularizing their status. At the time of his arrest, his case was awaiting resolution after the interview.

What could come next for the Shamas

With a previous active deportation order and new latent risks, Mohamed's future is uncertain. His wife and community believe he could be forced to self-deport to continue his case from abroad, or be sent to Egypt, a destination complicated by the few available immigration routes.

However, in the meantime, his advocates are seeking a motion to stay to prevent the verbal interview decision from being overturned by the old order.