Northern politician Jeffrey Donaldson wants Pol Brennan jailed

Jeffrey Donaldson determined to lock up former IRA prisoner

After 17 months behind bars in Texas, a former IRA prisoner who has lived in the U.S. for over 25 years is due to be deported to Ireland at the end of this week -- and is facing more jail time in Ireland if a Northern Ireland politician has anything to do with it.

Pol Brennan, 56, had his deportation cancelled in late June because Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had agreed to review his case in depth.

Brennan’s lawyers fought that he should have been granted a deportation waiver on the grounds that being deported would cause hardship to his American wife, whom he has been married to for 20 years.

However, Brennan himself received word early this week that he would be sent back to Ireland by the end of the week.

Brennan’s attorney, Beth Feinberg, told the Irish Voice/IrishCentral that although she has not yet received official word of her client’s deportation, Brennan himself was informed.

“We are not done fighting until the last minute. We are still working on some stuff this week,” said Feinberg. “It’s been a devastating turn for him.”

She added that it’s still not too late “to keep efforts up.”

“We have been trying to get in touch with legislators, with the Department of Homeland Security, with Secretary Napolitano, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to urge them to do the right thing and in keeping with the Good Friday Agreement to allow him to remain in the country in the spirit and intent of the peace accord.”

Jeffrey Donaldson, Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, has called on the Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward to begin a course of action that would lead to Brennan being extradited to Northern Ireland and subsequently jailed. 

Donaldson said on Tuesday if Brennan is returned to the Republic he will urge the Department of Justice to take action and will write to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern “ seeking his views on the matter and urging him to take action.”

​
Nster.com