Thread: Children left behind by immigration raid (sob)

http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/childrenleft2.htm



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Children left behind by immigration raid
By PATRICK CASSIDY
STAFF WRITER
EAST DENNIS - They aren't felons.

They aren't terrorists.

But their appeals to stay in the country were denied and now a Haitian couple living in East Dennis may be deported while the fate of their three young boys hangs in the balance.


Solvan, Mathnick and Shedler Fervius, ages 3, 4 and 7, were awakened at 6 Monday morning as their parents were being arrested by immigration officials. The boys are U.S. citizens.
(Paul Blackmore/Cape Cod Times)
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As the federal government tightens the noose on illegal immigrants in an effort to clean up what many call a broken system, the local Haitian couple's situation could become more common.

''Their one concern is their children,'' said the Rev. David Johnson, minister at the Evangelical Free Church on Center Street where the boys played Wednesday as if in their own home.

The boys' parents - Solange Celine and Ilionick ''Nick'' Fervius - were picked up Monday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents assisted by Massachusetts State Police, along with 13 other foreign nationals from Haiti, Brazil and India.

Of eight names the state police provided to the Times Monday night, three were inaccurate, immigration officials said.

In addition to Celine, 35, and Fervius, 39, Wilians Goncalves, 20, Zenilda Souza, 39, and Bhadresh Patel, 33, were arrested and are in custody, according to federal officials.

The identities of the remaining 10 individuals arrested were not released. ''For reasons of privacy we don't proactively release the names of those we arrest administratively,'' Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Paula Grenier said.

All 15 people arrested were wanted for violating immigration laws and were detained on an order of deportation from an immigration judge, Grenier said.


Asylum denied
Celine and Fervius arrived from Haiti about nine years ago as ''boat people'' from the impoverished Caribbean island, Johnson said.

Johnson married them. Their three boys were born on Cape Cod and are U.S. citizens.

The couple attend Johnson's church and work in health care, according to the cleric. ''It's not like they were hiding,'' he said.

They also have tried to stay in the country legally but their longtime bid for political asylum was ultimately denied, Johnson said.

To immigration and civil rights advocates, the Haitian couple's plight is an example of the dangers and challenges posed by expanding the effort to deport illegal immigrants beyond aliens convicted of crimes, which has been the primary focus of U.S. immigration officials.

''These are not the worst of the worst offenders,'' said Laura Rotolo, an attorney with the Massachusetts branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. ''These (operations) tear apart families.''

An overhaul of U.S. immigration law could avoid these kind of situations, said Ernest Hadley, chairman of the Barnstable Human Rights Commission.

''Whatever process we have now has to have individualized consideration,'' he said. ''How did somebody get here, what have they done while they're here, and where are we sending them back to?''


It's up to a judge
Immigration officials said the Haitian couple will be treated fairly.

In cases that could result in broken families, immigration officials work with parents to arrange for the care of their children, Grenier said. During deportation proceedings, an immigration judge can grant relief to one or both parents if their situation meets a set of strict criteria, she said.

One relief criterion allows an individual to stay in the United States if deportation would ''result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to his or her immediate family members (limited to the alien's spouse, parent, or child) who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.''

The Rev. Johnson said the Haitian couple's three young boys have suffered as a result of the immigration crackdown on their family and can't remember anything before their parents' arrest Monday morning. ''It's a classic sign of trauma,'' he said.

Along with Johnson and his wife, the three boys are being cared for by their uncle, Dieuseul ''Joe'' Celine, who said he was handcuffed while immigration officials searched for his brother-in-law.

''After they found Nick, they handcuffed (Solange),'' Joe Celine said.

In the country legally, Joe Celine was released after his immigration status was verified.

''I surely miss her,'' he said of his sister. ''About the kids - all the time they are crying.''

Patrick Cassidy can be reached at pcassidy@capecodonline.com.

(Published: February 2, 2007)

Copyright © Cape Cod Times. All rights reserved.

''These are not the worst of the worst offenders,'' said Laura Rotolo, an attorney with the Massachusetts branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. ''These (operations) tear apart families.''


I didn't see where she offered to provide financial support so this family could live together in their homeland , maybe I missed it . This really makes me doubt her sincerity when it comes to helping these people . Talk is so cheap .

''Their one concern is their children,'' said the Rev. David Johnson

If that were true they should have given more thought to their legal status. Just as any criminal should think about what they may be setting their children up for.

''Whatever process we have now has to have individualized consideration,'' he said. ''How did somebody get here, what have they done while they're here, and where are we sending them back to?''
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Individualize 12 million people probably more like 20 milliom!!get real!!

Just what is wrong with the children going back with the parents, huh!!Do we all have stupid writen on our forehead?Duh!!

The boys are U.S. citizens.

...another false interpretation of laws (anchors-away) that were written to prevent this!

The Rev. Johnson said the Haitian couple's three young boys have suffered as a result of the immigration crackdown on their family and can't remember anything before their parents' arrest Monday morning. ''It's a classic sign of trauma,'' he said.

What a drama queen this guy is, maybe he can shoot over to the Kennedy compound and get Teddy to introduce a special bill to exempt
Cape Cod from US Immigration Law

Originally Posted by jimpasz

The Rev. Johnson said the Haitian couple's three young boys have suffered as a result of the immigration crackdown on their family and can't remember anything before their parents' arrest Monday morning. ''It's a classic sign of trauma,'' he said.

What a drama queen this guy is, maybe he can shoot over to the Kennedy compound and get Teddy to introduce a special bill to exempt
Cape Cod from US Immigration Law

This is right in my back yard so to speak, and we are pretty much exempt from immigration law because the police have been absolutely forbidden to do anything. Glad ICE is getting involved. This whole story actually surprises me, pleasantly. When I talked to my Police Chief, he said ICE only wanted to become involved if there was a felony committed.

Do crime do the time period. Fugitives should not have children!

The children of illegals should not be considered American citizens. Deport the kids with them.

The good reverend should be stripped of his citizenship for knowingly marrying illegal invaders and not turning them in.