Parents, Residents of U.S. for 35 Years and Parents to Three American Citizens, Forced to Return to Colombia, Desire Reunion with Their Children
Rewritten Article:
Hey there! So, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez have been callin' the US their home since 1989, raisin' three daughters in sunny California. They were active members of their Southern California church, volunteering at food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic. But recently, these hardworking parents found themselves in hot water.
Their daughter, Stephanie, set up a GoFundMe page, expressin' their shock at the situation. "For nearly four decades, they've built a life here - raisin' three daughters, givin' back to their community, and recently welcomin' their first grandchild. Now, they're bein' treated like criminals."
Last month, they attended an immigration court in Santa Ana, just like they had been doin' since 2000. But this time, their check-in ended in handcuffs and federal custody. They spent three weeks behind bars before bein' deported to Colombia.
Monica Crooms, an immigration attorney workin' with the couple since 2018, explained that they expected to depart, but not in that way. "We didn't expect that they would be apprehended and held in custody. And again, it's not really unique to them anymore. It's happenin' across the country."
Seems like recent changes in US immigration policy are to blame, playin' a significant role in these increased deportations. Even folks with no criminal record ain't safe.
The Gonzalezes have spent years searchin' for a path to citizenship, paid their taxes, and never had any legal trouble, according to their daughters and Crooms. Ideally, they would've had time to sort out their affairs and say goodbye to their daughters and grandchild, but that didn't happen.
"We had to go and pick up their car from the parking lot and didn't get to say goodbye," Stephanie said.
No Legally Justified Stay in the US
Gladys and Nelson came to the US without authorization in 1989. They were granted permission to apply for asylum, fleein' crime in their native Colombia. In 2000, their immigration court found no legal basis for them to remain in the US and issued a voluntary departure order, giving them time to leave the country at their own expense.
After seein' multiple attorneys and spendin' thousands on legal fees, the couple "exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S. between March 2000 and August 2021," according to ICE.
They remained under an order of supervision until 2018, when their deportation officer "leveled with them that it was time to leave the country," Crooms said.
Escapin' 'The Murder Capital of the World'
When the Gonzalezes fled Colombia's capital city, they were fearful for their lives. Colombia was known as the murder capital of the world at the time. The violence from the rampant drug trade forced them to leave.
Unfortunately, they fell victim to fraudulent immigration practices, according to their daughter Stephanie. After Nelson filed for asylum, their initial attorney took their money and shut down for a criminal investigation.
They spent the past 25 years in the court system, appealin' for another chance due to ineffective counsel. In 2022, their Petition for Review was dismissed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
"The Issue Is the Immigration System, Not My Parents"
Under US immigration law, those livin' illegally in the country can take steps to avoid removal. But once they've exhausted all due process and appeals, they remain subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge, and ICE must carry out that order.
But the couple's daughter and attorney argue that the Gonzalezes were treated unfairly during the removal process.
"My parents loved this country, sacrificed all of their money to try to gain citizenship, but were failed by the system," Stephanie said. "They should've, at worst, been given the dignity to settle their affairs and fly themselves back to a country they haven't lived in since the 1980s, and not thrown into a detention center, just another name for a jail, without any knowledge of when they’d be released."
The couple was separated and kept in ICE custody for about three weeks, at facilities in California, Arizona, and Louisiana. Their deportation was delayed partially because of a government error, with their passports bein' lost by the Department of Homeland Security.
Deportation is a Growing Threat
The couple's daughters are still holdin' out hope that their parents will be able to return to the US one day. For now, the family is focusin' on helpin' Gladys and Nelson acclimate to life in Colombia.
They've managed to raise $65,000 to help their parents rebuild their new life in Colombia and pay for the best attorneys to help secure their return. However, they can't come back for at least 10 years due to a 1996 law.
Crooms remains hopeful, "I think they will be able to come back. I just - I don't foresee that being within the next 10 years."
[1] "13 Key Provisions in Trump's Immigration Executive Orders," NPR, Feb. 6, 2017.[2] "Trump steps up 'zero tolerance' immigration strategy," Al Jazeera, May 7, 2018.[3] "U.S. ICE plans to resume deportation flights despite COVID-19 pandemic," Reuters, May 7, 2020.[4] "Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Attempt to Terminate DACA," Courthouse News Service, July 16, 2020.[5] "Undocumented immigrants make substantial contributions to US, new study shows," PBS NewsHour, Jun. 7, 2019.
- Despite living and raising their family in the US for nearly four decades, the Gonzalezes found themselves being deported to Colombia due to recent changes in US immigration policies.
- The Gonzalezes, who had no criminal record, had been granted permission to apply for asylum in 1989 but were deemed ineligible to stay in the US by the immigration court in 2000. They paid thousands on legal fees and saw multiple attorneys, but were deported in March 2022 after being held in ICE custody for three weeks.
- The Gonzalezes' daughter, Stephanie, and their immigration attorney, Monica Crooms, argued that the Gonzalezes were treated unfairly during the removal process and deserved the dignity to settle their affairs before being expelled from the country. The family is currently focusing on helping the couple acclimate to life in Colombia, having raised over $65,000 to help them rebuild their new life.
