A Dearborn father, Abdelouahid Aouchiche was detained on Oct. 6 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside Masjid Al-Furqan in Detroit, on his way to the pre-dawn Fajr prayer with his son and others.

Aouchiche’s wife Lorenda Lewis says he sent his son inside the mosque, and instructed him to call his mother to pick him up. 

“When I went to pick Abdullah up, he was outside by himself, and he said he hadn’t seen his father. He doesn’t know where he is. And then I realized they were parked over to the side, and they let the window down so that the kids can see him for the last time,” she shares.

Aouchiche was taken to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, which houses over 1,400 people.

Lewis says it’s been a struggle to visit the facility, due to frequently changing policies, visitation times, and the 4 hour drive. She says the policies discourage you from visiting.

“It will alternate one hour for one week and three hours for the following week. So you will have to get up four o’clock in the morning to be there on time, because if you got there by a certain time… you were not allowed to visit,” she explains. 

Concerns of mistreatment at the facility 

In December, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), who is a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, visited the facility, noting its dire conditions.

Tlaib’s office says they received multiple reports, “including frigid temperatures, inadequate food, unsanitary facilities, difficulties accessing attorneys and loved ones, translation and communication issues, and problems obtaining medical care.”

After the visitation, Tlaib released a statement in which she says,  “I am fighting for the freedom and dignity of every immigrant, asylum seeker, and refugee who calls our country home.” 

A family separated

Aouchiche and Lewis share four children, between the ages of 6 and 12. 

Lewis says the current policies do not allow more than four visitors total in a day. With the kids being minors, they were not all able to go back to see their father together.

“But because there’s only four people, and they’re under 18, they could not go back there alone. So I was the only one that can go back there,” she says. 

Lewis says she is concerned about the conditions at the facility.

“They don’t have blankets. They have like a sweater type, something that they sleep with… the heat is horrible and it’s wintertime, but they don’t even have a blanket to sleep with,” she shares. 

Lack of religious accommodations 

Lewis says her husband was not receiving halal food in the beginning—only eating peanut butter, rice, and noodles. Since then, halal food has been provided, she says.

She says she’s also concerned for Muslims who observe fasting and worship during the month of Ramadan, which began Tuesday night. 

“Only in this one pod where he is there are over 300 Muslims… he said they have 12 prayer rugs and no Qurans,” she says. 

She says she’s also concerned whether people will be able to eat a pre-dawn meal to begin fasting, and the meal at sunset to break fast.

“Are they going to accommodate the Muslims getting up four or five o’clock in the morning so that they can eat breakfast at that time and then having suhur, and then having iftar when it’s time to break fast? With the way that they’re doing things, I’m not really sure,” she shares.

Community steps up to support the family 

Lewis says her husband’s detention has put a huge strain on her family.

“Something like this happened all of a sudden, with uncertainty, has taken a lot on my family, the children are having their father around. He paid most of the bills, so now I have to make sure that I work double time and put in extra hours so that I can pay the bills that he was paying,” she says. 

She may have to get a second job to provide for her family, something Lewis says will be difficult in her line of work as a doula.

Community members have put together a GoFundMe to help the family get on their feet. Lewis says she’s grateful people are stepping up to help, but she’s concerned about the funds running out. 

Lewis is also concerned about the mistreatment of others held at the North Lake Detention Facility in Baldwin. She says some people have no one to visit. Lewis says there are efforts to organize bilingual or multilingual volunteers to visit through a team at the Islamic Center of East Lansing by emailing info@lansingislam.com. 

Lewis says she’s leaning on her faith to get her through this time, during the spiritual month of Ramadan and prayer. 

She says there needs to be policy changes in the facility. 

“Their policies need to change, the visitation needs to change… we are not criminals. The detainees there are not criminals, and we’re being treated and our families are being treated like criminals and that needs to stop,” she says. 

Since conducting this interview late last week, Abdelouahid Aouchiche was transferred to Louisiana over the weekend and has since been moved to Texas.

Oakland County leaders and residents are protesting a possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement administrative office in Southfield. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and State Senator Jeremy Moss were among dozens of protesters at the site Tuesday.  State Representative Jason Hoskins says residents are concerned about ICE having a larger presence in Southfield. 

 “Across the country, people have seen mass federal agents operating in ways that feel aggressive and intimidating and disconnected from the communities that they serve, and when communities of color see mass individuals exercising power, it says a historical weight that cannot be ignored.”   

The building owner, REDICO, said in a statement that the lease is with the General Services Administration, and not directly with ICE. 

Additional Headlines for February 18, 2026

 DTE Energy fined for clean air violations 

A federal judge has ordered DTE Energy to pay 100 million dollars for Clean Air Act violations in Metro Detroit. The infractions occurred at a subsidiary facility on Zug Island where coal is turned into coke for steel production. Sulfur dioxide is produced during the process. The gas can cause health problems when inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency sued the coke plant in 2022. The judge also ordered the facility to come into compliance with clean air laws and to start a Community Quality Action Committee to work on air quality improvement projects. DTE Energy says it will appeal the ruling.  

Cardiac emergency plans for school stalls 

Michigan lawmakers required schools to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan for the current school year if the Legislature appropriated “sufficient funds.” But funding wasn’t dedicated in the education budget. A Senate proposal to include funding was removed by the House and was not included in the final budget. That means enforcement of the law is stalled. Bridge Michigan reports the state Department of Education says decisions on whether to implement emergency plans at the state’s estimated 5,000 public and nonpublic schools depend on local capacity and available resources. 

The holy month of Ramadan has begun 

Ramadan has begun. The Islamic holy month began Tuesday after sunset. Today is the first day of fasting. Muslim communities observe the event by praying intently, reading the Quran, giving to charity, and fasting from sunrise to sunset. Families gather in the evening to break their fast. Ramadan is the month when it is believed that the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. 

Ash Wednesday observed 

Today is Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the season of repentance, reflection and self-denial for Catholics and many other Christians. Worshippers attend church today and receive ashes, commonly spread in the shape of a cross on the forehead to remind them that life is short and that they should focus on things of the spirit. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The holy month of Ramadan kicks off this week.

Syrian Canadian author Nadine Presley has written an illustrated children’s book, “A Ramadan Night,” to showcase the holiday in Syria, where she grew up. 

“It’s set in Damascus… It’s a boy going on a walk with his father, and kind of just experiencing all the elements of a Ramadan night and taking it all in and engaging all of the senses,” she explains.

The book was illusrated by Asma Enayeh, who also grew up in Damascus, Syria.

Capturing a child’s perspective

Presley says she interviewed several young kids to find out their favorite part of Ramadan, finding out that they enjoyed the night strolls, staying up late and having sweet treats. Along with her own experiences in Syria, she wanted to capture the element of Ramadan from a child’s point of view.

“There are so many different aspects and elements to the month that make it so alive for us. So I really wanted to kind of engage all of the senses in bringing it to life and really passing along that emotion of what Ramadan night feels like,” she says.

Sharing the holiday in new places

Presley says Ramadan is different in the West. As a mom of three, she’s busy creating a a space in her home to celebrate. She also has a large Muslim community to share the holiday with.

However, it’s different from her childhood experiences.

“When I was, when you’re in Syria, and like, the Adhan goes off… the whole neighborhood, like comes alive… but we are very fortunate here in Canada to have a really good, really big Muslim community,” she shares.

Learning through feeling

The book’s main character interacts with objects to share his emotions, as he attempts to navigate “what Ramadan feels like.” 

“One of my big intentions when writing is that any child or adult that’s going to read the book, that they’re going to feel close to the main character. They’re going to feel inside the story, not at a distance,” she explains.

She says its a way for all kids to learn more about the holiday.

Presley says it was also important to share positive stories of Muslims, especially with male characters. 

Presley’s book, “A Ramadan Night,” was released last month.