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DETROIT (WJBK) - Dozens of Chaldean immigrants who were taken into custody over the weekend await persecution once they're returned to Iraq, families say. Now, they're scrambling to make a desperate attempt to save their loved ones from deportation.

On Sunday, dozens of Chaldean immigrannts were rounded up by ICE and taken to the immigration detention center in Detroit. They've since been moved on to a correctional facility in Youngston, Ohio, while they await the likely deportation to Iraq as part of a deal reached by the two countries.

"We're hearing that a plane may be leaving as early as the end of this week," Martin Manna, President of Chaldean Community Foundation said. "Today we're hearing there may be some hunger strikes amongst some of these folks. What do they have to risk at this point? If they are sent back, there is no hope for them unfortunately."

The detained Iraqi nationals would be loaded onto a plane and then delivered back to Iraq. Many of the detained immigrants are Chaldeans. Their families say they'll be persecuted for their beliefs when they're returned to Iraq.

Christian Iraqis are persecuted in Iraq because of their faith. For those reasons, Summer Zora says her husband won't live long, once returned to Iraq.

"My husband has a big tattoo of mother Mary of God. Once he gets to Iraq, ISIS or whatever, they're going to kill him right away," Zora said.

Approximately 400 detainees are being held in Ohio from Metro Detroit and other areas. The majority of the detainees from metro Detroit have some sort of criminal history but their families argue they were convicted of non-violent crimes and many were committed decades ago.

Najah Konja served prison time for a drug conviction in the 1980's. His brother Shoki says he's been a model citizen since and has paid his debt to society.

He fears the worst if his brother is deported.

"Where is he go going to go? He's going to be a target as soon as he walks out of the airport," Shoki said. "We come from a small town in the north of Iraq. It was liberated two months ago. There is not one Christian living in our town."

Manna says that the United States should not be sending the immigrants to a country where they will knowingly be persecuted.

"As a country when we talk about human rights violations, there are rules against convention against torture. There's laws that prevent government from sending people to an active warzone where they're knowingly going to be persecuted," Manna said.

READ MORE:

Woman who collapsed in front of ICE truck shares the toll of deportations ICE detains dozens, mostly from Iraq, in Metro Detroit Iraqi Christians, Muslims deported from Metro Detroit after U.S. deal with Iraq

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Families say deported Chaldeans will be persecuted in Iraq - Fox 2 Detroit

Department of Defense

US Boosts Team to Investigate Civilian Deaths in Iraq, Syria New York Times WASHINGTON The U.S. military has more than doubled the size of the team that investigates reports of civilian casualties in strikes by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria. Independent and activist groups raised concerns about the growing number ... Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS in Iraq, SyriaDepartment of Defense Trump Administration Targets ISIS Leaders With New US Sanctions Over Chemical Weapons Used In IraqNewsweek Video: Syrian Army Reaches Border with Iraq, Strategic Implications, Failure of US Plan to Create a Buffer Zone ...Center for Research on Globalization Anadolu Agency all 81 news articles »

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US Boosts Team to Investigate Civilian Deaths in Iraq, Syria - New York Times

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said Tuesday it produced more crude oil in May, underscoring the fragility of the cartels agreement with other big producers to cut output and stabilize a slumping market.

OPECs output rose 1% to over 32.14 million barrels in May, led largely by increases from three of its 14 members: Libya, Nigeria and Iraq, according to the cartels closely watched monthly market report.

The increase from Libya and Nigeria wasnt a surprise because those countries were exempted from any obligation to cut as they try to come back from sabotage and violent disruptions to their supplies.

Read: U.S. shale-oil output expected to rise by 127,000 barrels a day in July: EIA

But Iraq agreed last December, and again in May, to some of the largest production cuts undertaken by the cartel. Instead its output increased over 44,000 barrels a day to over 4.4 million barrels a day.

Read: Oil prices higher again, but supply glut hangs over market

OPECs members have agreed with 10 nations outside the cartel to cap their production at roughly 1.8 million barrels CLN7, -1.03% LCOQ7, -0.88% a day lower than levels in October 2016. Their goal is to draw down historically high amounts of oil in storage, which represent a global oil supply that has kept prices between $45 and $55 a barrel for much of the year.

An expanded version of this report is on WSJ.com.

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OPEC oil production rose in May owed to unexpected boost from Iraq - MarketWatch

Igor Kossov, Special for USA TODAY Published 2:35 p.m. ET June 12, 2017 | Updated 16 minutes ago

Sick and starving residents were seen fleeing western Mosul on Friday, as Iraqi and U.S.-backed coalition forces continued to push Islamic State group militants from the city. (June 10) AP

Iraqi elite Rapid Response Division members gather around a building in Mosul's western Al-Shifa district as they battle against Islamic State fighters, on June 12, 2017.(Photo: Mohamed El-Shahed, AFP/Getty Images)

IRBIL, Iraq The Iraqi military had planned on a big celebration Saturday, the third anniversary of the Islamic State's capture of Mosul, by completing the liberation of Iraq's second-largest city and the militants' last major stronghold in the country. But it didn't happen.

Instead, the military is still struggling to eject amilitant group that has shown reneweddetermination and ferocitythan expected despite being heavily outnumbered.

On Sunday, Iraqi forces began to storm one of the gateways into the final bastion held by the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Mosul: the "Old City."

"They are fighting much harder than before," said Rebin Rozhbayane, a former officer and trainer with the Iraqi army who was near the front lines in western Mosul over the past few weeks.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command saidSunday that 23 militants were killed as government troops entered Bab Sinjar, the northern entrance to the Old City. Fewer than 1,000 fighters are believed toremain in Mosul, hiding among hundreds of thousands of civilians. Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops are deployed to dislodge the militants.

Yahya Rasol, an Iraqi military spokesman, said the army's Ninth Division took the Zanjli neighborhood north of the Old City, allowing Iraqi forces to control the Bab Sinjar entry.

Iraqi federal police posted on their official Facebook account that they are "tightening the noose" around ISIS in the Old City, which has been completely encircled by government forces. Iraqi forces captured eastern Mosul in January and later crossed the Tigris River into western Mosul, wherethe ancient city first arose.

Liberating the Old City isthe most difficult part of the offensive because of its narrow streets and densely clustered buildings. These conditions preventthe use of armored vehicles and create a high risk of ambushes, booby traps and civilian casualties.

The big prize in the Old City is the al-Nuri mosque, where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made a public speech in 2014 after the militants captured Mosul. Recapturing the city would mean a symbolic end to the Islamic State's reign in Iraq.

Iraq's federal police forces came within hundreds of yards of the mosque in March and hinted at the time that they would take it shortly. However, the widely publicized deaths of hundreds of civilians in U.S.-led bombing raids forceda changeinstrategy.

Iraqi forces decided to surround the Old City first and thenopen corridors for civilians being used as human shields to escape."The biggest challenge is to kill the (ISIS fighters)while making a safe way out for civilians," said Muntader Khazem, a sergeant with the Emergency Response Division, the elite unit of the federal police.

According to Rozhbayane, the presence of civilians is slowing down the operation, even thoughU.S. Air Force Col.John Dorrian predicted in May that ISIS is "on the brink of total defeat in Mosul."

Rozhbayane saidIraqi forces are nowproceedingmore cautiously, taking many breaks to update their tactics and give their troops time to rest.

The United Nations refugee agency reported on Thursdaya "significant escalation of extremist groups use of civilians as human shields and targeting of those attempting to flee areas under their control."

"At least 204 civilians attempting to flee western Mosul have reportedly been killed during the last week alone," the refugee agency said.

In addition to worries about trapped civilians, the Iraqi offensive has slowed because of fierce resistance from ISIS fighters who havenowhere left to go.Ahandful of snipers holdingout in a single building wereenough to delay Iraqi forces by up to a day.

"The last thing you want to do is underestimate these guys," said Alex Moreau, a Canadian forces veteran serving as a volunteer medic near Mosul."Some of them have been fighting since the early days of the American occupation" in 2003, said Moreau,who said he saw scores of federal police casualties.

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Meet the men who fought ISIS from inside Mosul

This Iraqi sniper picks off ISIS fighters as they hide behind human shields

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ISIS clings to Mosul on 3rd anniversary of invading Iraq - USA TODAY

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 12, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 36 strikes consisting of 64 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 37 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed four ISIS tanks, six ISIS oil tanks, two ISIS wellheads, an ISIS oil separation tank, an ISIS oil refinery, an ISIS oil truck and an ISIS oil still.

-- Near Raqqa, 23 strikes engaged 20 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 16 fighting positions, two vehicles and two ISIS boats; damaged five ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Fallujah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

-- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed a mortar system.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed five fighting positions, two supply caches, a mortar system, a command-and-control node, an artillery system and a vehicle; and damaged two fighting positions.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tunnel.

June 10 Strikes

Additionally, 12 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 10 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, a tunnel, a weapons storage facility, and a command-and-control node; damaged an ISIS factory; and suppressed a sniper.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, one strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed four barriers, a command-and-control node, a vehicle-borne-bomb facility and a fuel storage facility; and damaged seven ISIS supply routes.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria - Department of Defense