A Lebanese immigrant, who arrived in Jersey City over two decades ago and helped New Jersey State Police crack a murder case, is being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The 44-year-old is in prison in Newark, awaiting a deportation hearing.

The immigrant came to the U.S. legally in 1989 on a visa and later married a U.S. citizen. The marriage failed and a final divorce decree is pending. The long-time U.S. resident plans to remarry a woman he met four years ago. His fiancée is an American citizen who is working toward the Lebanese immigrant's release.

Six years ago, the immigrant helped New Jersey law enforcement and legal authorities uncover a murder. The closed case of a man who drowned was initially ruled accidental. However, it was reopened after the immigrant provided essential evidence that proved the victim was thrown off a fishing boat by two men.

The case prosecutor and investigators from the Jersey City Police Department sent letters of support for the Lebanese immigrant to ICE. The letters request that immigration officials put off deportation and consider issuing a witness visa, so that the immigrant can "operationally assist" police in the future.

Rather than slow the deportation process, ICE accelerated it claiming the immigrant resisted being removed from the country on five previous occasions. The first removal attempt was made five years ago. An employer, angered by a legal dispute over pay for a contracting job, reported the worker's illegal status to immigration officials.

A petition set up by the detained man's fiancée through an immigrant support website contains 6,000 signatures calling for the Lebanese man's freedom.

Source: NJ.com, "After helping authorities crack manslaughter case, Jersey City man now faces deportation," Eunice Lee, Jan. 10, 2012