ICE Arrests Sudanese Man in Nashville After 17 Years in Hiding
Gabriel Ayuel came to the US as a refugee from Sudan in 1995. After a murder conviction and a deportation order issued in 2008, he simply stayed — for 17 more years. On May 5, 2026, ICE found him in a Nashville apartment, and now he faces removal from the country he has lived in for three decades.
Man Ignored Deportation Order for 17 Years — ICE Finally Found Him
Gabriel Maror Ayuel, 55, came to the United States from Sudan as a refugee in 1995. In 2003, he was convicted of first-degree attempted murder in Davidson County, Tennessee, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal (a court decision ordering someone to leave the US) for Ayuel back in July 2008. He never left.
Ayuel stayed in the US for more than 17 years after that removal order — which is itself a felony under US law. His criminal record also includes arrests for driving under the influence, failure to appear in court, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony possession of a prohibited weapon, and felony flight to avoid prosecution, spread across Tennessee and Georgia. ICE officers from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New Orleans field office tracked him down in a South Nashville apartment on May 5, 2026. Ayuel told officers he had moved in just one week before.
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ICE acting Field Office Director Brian Acuna said removing people with serious criminal convictions is a public safety priority. Ayuel is now in ICE custody and is waiting to be removed from the country. Cases like this show that ICE can and does pursue people with old removal orders — even decades later.
What This Means If You Have a Removal Order
If you or someone you know has a final order of removal (even an old one), that order does not expire. ICE can act on it at any time. Staying in the US after a removal order is a federal felony. The only way to stop removal is through a legal process — such as filing a motion to reopen your case or applying for a stay of deportation (a legal pause on removal). You have 90 days from the original order to file a motion to reopen, but courts can sometimes accept late filings in special circumstances. Do not wait.
What to Do
- Know your rights: If ICE comes to your door, you have the right to stay silent and the right to speak with an immigration lawyer before answering questions.
- Check your immigration status: If you have ever been in immigration court, find out if a removal order was issued against you — even if you never received notice.
- Contact an immigration lawyer immediately: A lawyer may be able to file a motion to reopen your case or request a stay of deportation to pause removal while your case is reviewed.
- Do not ignore court orders: Failing to appear in immigration court almost always results in a removal order being issued in your absence.
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A final order of removal never expires — ICE can enforce it one year or twenty years later, as this case shows. If you have a removal order and have not left the US, you may still have options: a motion to reopen (normally due within 90 days of the order, but courts can accept late filings based on changed circumstances or new evidence) or an I-246 Stay of Deportation application, which costs $155 in 2026 and can pause removal while you pursue relief. Anyone in this situation should consult an immigration attorney before ICE makes contact — not after.