"The McAllister's are a Catholic family from the Lower Ormeau Road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland who are seeking asylum in the United States. Malachy and Bernadette McAllister and their four children fled Ireland in 1988 after narrowly escaping a loyalist assassination attempt.

Like most republicans in the North of Ireland, the McAllister's lived daily with intimidation and abuse from the police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, (RUC), and the British troops. Malachy was detained numerous times, frequently receiving serious beatings. Bernadette was also detained and interrogated several times without ever being charged with a crime.

In 1983 Malachy was convicted of political crimes. His conviction was based on 'supergrass' testimony, the uncorroborated testimony of someone claiming to be a co-conspirator, and many of these charges were false. Use of such evidence was common in the early 1980's when supergrasses were offered large sums of money, immunity from prosecution or lighter sentences for their testimony. The supergrass system has been condemned by all of the major human rights organizations and is no longer in use. Malachy served nearly four years for his convictions, held with other republican prisoners in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh Prison.

On October 2, 1988, two masked loyalist gunmen smashed a front window of the McAllister home and fired twenty-five shots into the house. Bernadette's mother narrowly escaped the bullets, and two of the children had gone upstairs minutes earlier to tend the baby. When the gunmen saw Paul, who was eleven years old, looking out of the upstairs window, they fired shots up through the living room ceiling aiming at the child. While there were no physical injuries from the attack, the psychological injuries continue to plague the family.

The RUC later notified the McAllister's that Malachy's security information was found in a loyalist safe house, along with the guns used in the shooting. This information confirmed that the McAllister's were deliberately targeted and that the loyalists had planned the attack in collusion with the security forces.

Immediately after the shooting, the family went into hiding, and left Ireland as soon as they were able to make travel arrangements. Initially they went to Canada."

Ladies and Gentlemen: I have on the air with me Mr. Malachy McAlister in New Jersey. Malachy is a Catholic and formerly from Belfast.

DVB: Hello Malachy, welcome to ECHOES OF ERIN here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

MM: Hello Diane, and hello to all of your listeners.

DVB: Malachy you have really gone through hell. I know it is a difficult thing to do, but I am going to ask you to give us a real quick synopsis of your situation, what has happened to you and where you are at right now?

MM: Well as we said before going on the air, it is probably too lengthy to go into. Basically we are in a situation now just waiting to hear word from the Immigration Department as to when they are going to deport us. My wife and kids received asylum when we went through the trial in the year 2000 and I was denied. That set the appeals process into operation and 29 days after the trial the INS came back and appealed the decision that was granted on my wife and children. They are still in limbo. I obviously am in the same position at the moment.

Honestly, there is a lot of concern given the recent deportation of John McNicholl. I think your listeners should be aware that aside from the actual legalities of the deportation, they should be outraged at the manner in which this person was deported.

DVB: Malachy, why were Bernadette and the children awarded asylum and then that decision appealed by the INS?

MM: To be very brief, they stated in their appeal, we could have sought some kind of asylum in Britain - England, Scotland or Wales, at that particular time. I don't think that stands up. The reality is at that particular time it was impossible for me to go to Britain, I would have been sent home on the next boat. That just wasn't an option.

DVB: How long have you been in America?

MM: We have been out of Ireland over 14 years. We have been fighting this deportation issue all this time. From Canada we came here in 1996 and started the process. We have been at it all this time. The reality is, it is never ending, it is day to day, and nothing can be planned. All of our kids have grown up outside of Belfast. When we left Belfast, they were very small toddlers. The oldest boy was only eleven. He has since gotten married to an American citizen. But it doesn't change his status in any shape or form. He is still waiting like the rest of us to find out if their status regarding the granting of the asylum is going to be upheld.

DVB: If you and Bernadette are deported then Paul Gary is deported as well?

MM: The case is all wrapped into one. Basically my wife and kids are all in the same group and that could leave them where they could be deported too. The judge could decide they could have taken asylum elsewhere. They would all be deported in that sense. The reality is the only way they will probably take this is to deport me and it would leave them no other choice but to follow me back.

DVB: Malachy, have you and Bernadette been granted permission to work in America?

MM: Yes we have. I own a construction company, I employ American citizens on a daily basis. I pay my taxes like everyone else and we bring up our family as best as we can under the circumstances.

DVB: Well that is just what America needs - I am being sarcastic, - With the economic situation here in America, which is not ideal, what they need to do is close down businesses, fire employees and lose part the tax base if they deport you.

MM: They are definitely wasting taxpayers money in our situation, I am not wanted by anyone. I served my time in the early 80's during the Hunger Strike in Belfast. This is like doing your sentence all over again.

DVB: Exactly! Now Malachy, if you are deported and have to go back home to Belfast, what are you anticipating?

MM: To be honest Diane, I have blocked that out of my mind. It is not something I really want to thing about. As I said, we live on a day to day basis and I am no threat to anyone in this country. I am a family man. My wife and I have been married 25years, we are having our anniversary here this year. Our kids have grown up here and we want them to remain in this country. That is what this is all about.

Let's face it, our kids nearly lost their lives in 1988 and that's the reason why we left Ireland. We didn't leave because of the economic situation. We left for fear of our lives, and we have tried to be kept from being sent back there.

DVB: The experience they went through was harrowing.

MM: It is a fact that some of our kids to this day, once our case comes out in the media the attention and focus is put on us again, they think about that particular time. They were actually in the home when the gunmen came and shot 25 rounds from an AK47. It was a miracle that they survived it. To even think about considering sending the family back into that situation again is just not right. That is why we are calling on the support of all Irish Americans to contact their Congressmen and voice their opinion on the situation.

DVB: So what we can do to help you Malachy is send letters, send faxes, send emails to our Congressmen and women and request that they grant you asylum.

MM: Yes, that is basically it. It is very ironic today that there is a rally in Belfast to highlight the cases of collusion. We are one of these cases where the security forces handed over the information to loyalist death squads who were close to carrying it out in our situation. We were able to escape from it. Why should this government send us back into that situation again?

DVB: I agree. In one of the pieces of information you faxed me - the message sent by the judge is "no matter how much persecution you suffer at the hands of the government, you can never fight back". And believe me Malachy, America was not founded on that principal what so ever.

MM: No, we all remember George Washington.

DVB: We need to get our listeners to contact their Congressmen and Congresswomen and request that they support asylum for Malachy, Bernadette and the four children.

MM: Well if not asylum, at least grant us Relief from Deportation. That is what we are asking. There have been several cases here where the Clinton administration was able to grant relief. There is only one or two families left in which we are under threat by this administration. The reality is we are no threat to the national security of this country. We pay our taxes and we pay to fight off terrorism in this country.

DVB: Yes you do Malachy. Certainly I do want to wish you, Bernadette and your family safety here in America and hopefully we can get enough people to contact their politicians to request relief from deportation for you.

I definitely will keep my listeners abreast of your situation. Hopefully, you can always remain here in America.

MM: We hope so too.

DVB: Good luck to you Malachy and take care.

MM: Slan ga Fol