Thread: Bronx: Mex. illegal father of 5 hides from ICE

Bronx father facing deportation forced to live away from family

BY GABRIELLE MILNER AND AMANDA VAZQUEZ
CHILDREN'S PRESSLINE

Updated Tuesday, July 22nd 2008, 1:03 PM
Rose, 12, holds her baby brother Angel, with sisters Maylee and Ashley, as well as brother Victor, outside their home. The children’s father, an undocumented immigrant, faces possible deportation. Sudbury/CPL

Rose, 12, holds her baby brother Angel, with sisters Maylee and Ashley, as well as brother Victor, outside their home. The children’s father, an undocumented immigrant, faces possible deportation.

A Bronx Mother and her five children are in danger of losing their Angel.

Reina - along with her five children, who were all born in the U.S. - live in fear that, at any time, Reina's husband Angel may be forced by U.S. immigration officials to leave the country.

Angel, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, has worked in construction, and last August, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed him he would be deported because he had been convicted of a misdemeanor related to drunken driving.

"We would all be separated and lost," said Angel's daughter Rose, 12. Family members declined to give their last name in order to protect their identity.

The separation has already begun. To avoid being picked up by immigration officials and deported, Angel does not live with his family. "It is . . . hard," Rose said with a frown.

A 1996 federal law has resulted in an increased number of undocumented immigrants - 672,593 of them - being deported for crimes, according to government figures compiled by the Human Rights Watch.

These immigrant deportees are forced to leave their families behind. A 2007 Human Rights Watch report, "Forced Apart," estimated that 1.6 million family members had been left behind in the U.S. after deportations.

Nancy Morawetz, professor of clinical law at NYU's Immigrant Rights Clinic, described the law - the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 - as "very punitive."

"Now, Immigration Court is required to apply a ‘one size fits all' rule that requires deportation, leaving Immigration Courts powerless," said Morawetz, adding that judges are no longer able to evaluate individual circumstances of undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

"The law right now, for the most part, doesn't consider the fact that there are U.S. citizen children. . . . It doesn't allow a judge to decide whether it would be unfair to that family," Morawetz said.

But Harold Ort, a public affairs officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the branch of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for deporting removable immigrants, said observers "can't lose sight of the fact that everyone arrested by ICE during enforcement action is in violation of the law."

ICE recognizes that the children of those detained are greatly affected by deportation, but, said Ort, "parenthood does not make a person immune from having to comply with a nation's laws."

"Child protective services or other social agencies are always called in . . . to ensure that the children are not left home alone," Ort said. "We're extremely sensitive to the fact that there are children impacted by these decisions - the unfortunate decisions of the parent or caregivers."

There are organizations that provide support for families dealing with deportation.

The two advocacy groups assisting Angel and his family - The New Sanctuary Movement and Families for Freedom - offer legal advice and tips on how to deal with ICE. Reina compared the groups to a "family that helps one, so they are not in despair."

Families for Freedom also describes itself as a source of support and education for those that may lose loved ones as a result of deportation.

"Sometimes, people make mistakes," said Reina. "Some people try to recover from it and move forward... but [ICE] doesn't care about them. When someone is being deported, it doesn't occur to them that these people have families and children that are left behind."

But, Ort said, "We are charged with enforcing the law, just like a local police officer or state police officer. We enforce the law."

Additional reporting by Melody Estevez, Sydney Lake, Geoffery Lareau and Princess Weekes

"Sometimes, people make mistakes," said Reina. "Some people try to recover from it and move forward... but [ICE] doesn't care about them. When someone is being deported, it doesn't occur to them that these people have families and children that are left behind."

Being an illegal alien is no mistake, it's being a criminal. Why in the world would she marry an illegal alien (mistake #1) and then have FIVE kids (mistakes 2-6)?!?!?!?!?

Why should I care what happens to you and yours, Reina? You made your bed, now lay in it! You have two choices, stay here without him or go back to mexico with him when he's deported. The END!

Good DAD huh? Sound like nothing but a drunk driving make my own laws kinda guy. Their is a place for him and its not here.

NOBODY is stopping her and her children from moving to his country....pack you bags and stop you sobbing.

Crap you can even go there illegally now as they are not arresting illegals any longer

Do you think other criminal's family, friend or even attorney get to know what is going on in the prison system?

Prison system don't let you know when they are moving a prisoner or where they are being moved, too.

I wonder why not?

Some one needs to start a group for U.S. Citizens whose parent is in jail. The damage it does to the child when parent breaks law and goes to jail. I am sure we could get courthouse pictures and sob stories from family.If that was to happen we could close all jails and just everyone be free.
How is it legal to marry? I guess I need to see if any info on net for different states requirements. I would think they ask if you are a legal U.S. resident. Every place else ask.

"Sometimes, people make mistakes," said Reina

And sometimes people have to pay for them. Case closed pack ya kids and deport with your hubbie. see ya!

A Bronx Mother and her five children are in danger of losing their Angel.


MOVE TO MEXICO WITH HIM....THEN YOU ARE ALL TOGETHER

Why not deport dad and the kids, (after all they are half Mexican nationals.) Then they can all apply for legal entry. Mom would get a breather to find a job and support them. After all, isn't she the only one legally allowed to work in this country? Guaranteed dad worked under phony identity and SSN, so this family, as far as I am concerned deserves no sympathy. Stop the madness!

Not a tear from me! Stop whining