A Kenyan, Dr Mzenga Aggrey Wanyama, who teaches at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has attracted huge support from Americans as he and his wife face deportation from a country they have lived in for 25 years.
Dr Mzenga, who is a relative of Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, is to be deported from the US after his appeal for political asylum was denied.
Addressing the media in the US, Dr Wanyama told a local publication that he had resigned himself to deportation at a time when President Donald Trump is increasingly taking a hard stance on immigration.
The Professor and his wife Mary Namalwa Mzenga met with officials of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to review their case and discuss plans for deportation.
[caption caption="Students, Faculty rally together in support of Augsburg Professor Dr Wanyama"]
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He was ordered to report back to the immigration officials next month to plan for his repatriation to Kenya.
This move comes after his university and the community of Minneapolis-Saint Paul put pressure on immigration authorities to spare him.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement described Dr Wanyama as a pillar of the community and the region was better for his work.
“No president, no federal agency will deport Dr Wanyama without a fight from me, from our partners in the state and federal delegations, and from the thousands of people in Minneapolis who share our values,” Frey stated.
The president of Augsburg University Paul Pribbenow joined supporters who fear that the professor is being unfairly targeted for deportation despite his many years as a higher education instructor and crime-free life in the US.
[caption caption="Augsburg Professor Mzenga Aggrey Wanyama speaks to media "]
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Paul Pribbenow stated: “Dr Wanyama is a role model for the professional aspirations and accomplishments of future leaders in our city and country. We strongly stand behind him and believe he should be able to stay in the US.”
