After 30 years in U.S., Michigan illegal deported to Mexico

[StLucieBengal]

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2018/01/15/jorge-garcia-daca-deported-mexico-immigration/1033296001/

This is what needs to happen to push through a deal. We need to just ramp this up and remind everyone that this could all be avoided if the democrats instituted the Raise Act, ending chain migration and the diversity lottery.

Also saw a clip on CNN where Chris Cuomo mentioned their attorney filed the wrong immigration docs. They obviously needed a CR-1 since the wife is a USC. Why on earth don’t they know the proper instructions for a CR-1? It’s easy and there are loads of help to do this on your own. Friends of ours are also doing this, husband is an illegal from Mexico. They finally filed the CR-1 a year and a half ago but problems with the lawyer/paralegal set them back. Meanwhile other friends did the paperwork on their own and cruised through no issues. This guy getting deported has only himself to blame .

Quote:After 30 years in U.S., Michigan dad deported to Mexico

Niraj WarikooUpdated 57 minutes ago
Show Caption
His arms wrapped around his wife and two teenage children, Jorge Garcia's eyes welled up Monday morning as he looked into their eyes one last time near the entrance to the airport security gate at Detroit Metro Airport.

His wife, Cindy Garcia, cried out while his daughter, Soleil, 15, sobbed into Garcia's shoulder as they hugged. Two U.S. immigration agents kept a close watch nearby.


Jorge Garcia, 39, of Lincoln Park hugs his wife, Cindy Garcia, and their two children at Detroit ...more

Niraj Warikoo/Detroit Free Press

After 30 years of living in the U.S, Garcia, a 39-year-old Lincoln Park landscaper, was deported on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday from metro Detroit to Mexico, a move supporters say was another example of immigrants being unfairly targeted under the Trump administration.

Jorge Garcia was brought to the U.S. by an undocumented family member when he was 10 years old. Today he has a wife and two children,, all of whom are U.S. citizens. He's been trying for years to find a path to live legally in the U.S., with he and his wife spending $125,000 in legal costs and fees since 2005, says his wife.

Garcia had been facing an order of removal from immigration courts since 2009, but under the previous administration, he had been given stays of removal. But because of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, Garcia was ordered in November to return to Mexico. His supporters say he has no criminal record — not even a traffic ticket — and pays taxes every year.

Nevertheless, Garcia had to be removed, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On Monday morning, accompanied by ICE agents at Detroit Metro Airport, Garcia went through security as supporters around him held up signs that read, "Stop Separating Families."

Read more:

"We love you, Jorge," said Mayra Valle of Detroit as Garcia hugged his wife and children. "They're a good family, they're hardworking. ... This is so sad. This is outrageous. We never expected this would happen."

Garcia's case is the latest example of immigrants who previously would have been allowed to remain in the U.S., but not now as the U.S. seeks to remove more immigrants. Garcia is too old to qualify for DACA, which allows the children of undocumented immigrants to legally work and study in the U.S.


Jorge Garcia, 39, of Lincoln Park with his wife, Cindy Garcia, in a Detroit home on Jan. 14, 2018, ...more

Niraj Warikoo

Garcia said he had asked ICE if they could wait until new DACA legislation is passed, which might expand the age range for immigrants to qualify. But, he said, they refused and said he had to leave by Jan. 15.

"How do you do this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?" said Erik Shelley, a leader with Michigan United, which advocates for immigrant rights and other issues. "It's another example of the tone-deafness of this administration. ... If Jorge isn't safe, no one is safe."

Read more:

Shelley said he's concerned that minority immigrants are increasingly being targeted, citing remarks Trump has made about African and Hispanic immigrants.

Shelley was joined at the airport by other immigrant advocates and an official with the UAW, which has been supportive of Garcia.

A spokesman for ICE told the Free Press on Monday that he could not immediately comment since it was a federal holiday, and their offices are closed.


Supporters of Jorge Garcia hold up signs that read "Stop Separating Families" at Detroit Metro ...more

Niraj Warikoo

"I feel kind of sad," Garcia told the Free Press on Sunday night, his hands interlocked, pressed against his forehead in worry. "I got to leave my family behind, knowing that they're probably going to have a hard time adjusting. Me not being there for them for who knows how long. It's just hard."

Especially painful will be being separated from his children, Soleil and Jorge Garcia Jr., 12. The Garcias said their 12-year-old son has been taking the news hard, not expressing himself, which is concerning his parents.

"I'm going to be sad because I'm not going to be able to be with them," Garcia said at the table of a friend's home in southwest Detroit during a farewell party for him. "... It's going to be kind of hard for me to adjust, too. Not being there with them, helping the kids with school stuff. It's going to be kind of hard. But it's something, I guess I got to find a way to adjust."

Garcia may be barred from entering the U.S. for at least 10 years, said Cindy Garcia. Diego Bonesatti, legal services director for Michigan United, and others have been fighting for Garcia for years and now will try to get him back.

Garcia's wife is a U.S. citizen, but being married to a U.S. citizen does not automatically qualify immigrants for legal residency.

Immigrant advocates say deporting people like Garcia is ripping up families and communities in Detroit and other areas such as Lincoln Park, which are struggling with population losses. Immigrants like Garcia are an asset that stabilize and grow metro Detroit, they said.

"It's like plucking a main artery, like, their lifeline, taking it from them and then just putting it somewhere else," said Norma Garza Jones, 44, of Detroit, a family friend. "Those that are left behind are left to just try and compensate for that artery that main blood vessel, you know, that's been pulled from them."


Jorge Garcia, 39, of Lincoln Park stands at the ticket counter at Detroit Metro Airport checking ...more

Niraj Warikoo

"It's heartbreaking," Bonesatti said. "If you're going to pick someone who's ideal," he would be it.

"He came at age 10 ... he's never been in trouble, period. He's never even gotten a traffic ticket."

Moreover, Mexico is a foreign place to Garcia.

"This is his home," Bonesatti said. "This is the place he knows."

Related:

The children of a deported Kentucky man must immigrate to Mexico or enter foster care

Amid laughter and tears, the children of deported Owensboro man arrive in Mexico

"It's just a shame on this national (MLK) holiday when we're supposed to be celebrating diversity, the end of discrimination, the fight for civil rights, our nation is still targeting vulnerable families," said Adonis Flores, an immigrant rights leader at Michigan United.

Cindy Garcia, a retired Dearborn truck plant worker, worries about supporting her family without her husband.

She said that when her husband reported to ICE in November as part of a regular check-in, he was informed that he had to leave the U.S. and would be detained immediately.

Garcia said ICE agents told them: "We're going to detain him and he's not going home."

His deportation date was set for the day after Thanksgiving.

But after a request by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), Garcia said, ICE later agreed to extend his deportation date until Jan. 15, allowing him to spend the holidays one last time with his family.

The family was too depressed to have a Christmas tree. It didn't seem to fit in with their anxious mood, Garcia said.

"It's a nightmare, coming to life," she said. " ... You have no choice but to face it head-on, and accept what is being thrown at you. Because there is nothing else that you can do."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo

Originally Published 12:49 p.m. ET Jan. 15, 2018

Updated 57 minutes ago

[*bfine32*]

Shame on the previous administration for simply kicking the can down the road; instead of doing something. Now this administration says no more BS, pass something or they are going back and somehow they are viewed as "targeting illegals".

My heart breaks for the family, but there are worse things in the world. The article stats the wife is retired and I assume that comes with a pension. That pension might go a little further South of the Border than in Detroit.

[StLucieBengal]

(01-16-2018, 02:45 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Shame on the previous administration for simply kicking the can down the road; instead of doing something. Now this administration says no more BS, pass something or they are going back and somehow they are viewed as "targeting illegals".

My heart breaks for the family, but there are worse things in the world. The article stats the wife is retired and I assume that comes with a pension. That pension might go a little further South of the Border than in Detroit.

Our friends who are in a similar boat have already made the decision that if he has to go back to Mexico they will all move with him. I know if this ever was an issue we had to deal with we would just move to Belarus.

I don’t see why this woman didn’t go as well unless they got some false hope from their attorney/paralegal doing their paperwork. They should know they can easily do the CR-1 from abroad.

[StLucieBengal]

I will also add in regards to bfine’s Post. Obama/Bush/Clinton/Bush should all be ashamed for passing the buck and leaving Jesse people in limbo. Trump has done more for the illegals than anyone else. At least he won’t let them stay in limbo.

Dems needs to step up and approve the raise act, etc so we can move forward and at least give these illegals some comfort to know their fates one way or he other

[GMDino]

Whew!  Trump is really getting rid of those "bad hombres"!

Married with children? holding a job and never in trouble with the law?

Yeah! Good riddance!



All seriousness aside: Deporting people like this doesn't make America better in any way shape or form.  

If Trump REALLY went after the rapists/drug dealers at least I'd have respect for what he is doing versus going after the ones who sign up and wait for a path to citizenship.

I'll be quiet now while I'm told how he was already "breaking the law".

[BmorePat87]

We should hold hostage the livelihood of Americans citizens and people who have lived here since childhood, contributing to this nation, simply to force political opponents to waste billions of our money on stupid campaign promises.

The blowhards say dumb shit like "you should have tried to get legal", meanwhile this guy who was brought here as a child has spent $125,000 in legal fees to try and become a citizen because he loves this country and his family.

Now we're suggesting American citizens should move to Mexico for months or years while this father tries to get back here legally?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/dan-rodricks-blog/bs-md-rodricks-0114-story.html?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Contentutm_content=5a5de24319694a00076c259autm_medium=trueAnthemutm_source=facebook

Much like this piece points out, there's no logical argument in any of this. We say we want to punish criminals and people who leech off of us, but we also go after people who are essentially Americans that are contributing to this nation. The President argues for merit based immigration and then goes after those who should remain here on the merit of what they contribute or calls their homes "shit holes" and questions why we want people who are more educated and end up achieving more success than the average American At some point, we're just punishing them because they're brown.

[StLucieBengal]

(01-16-2018, 03:15 PM)GMDino Wrote: Whew!  Trump is really getting rid of those "bad hombres"!

Married with children? holding a job and never in trouble with the law?

Yeah! Good riddance!



All seriousness aside: Deporting people like this doesn't make America better in any way shape or form.  

If Trump REALLY went after the rapists/drug dealers at least I'd have respect for what he is doing versus going after the ones who sign up and wait for a path to citizenship.

I'll be quiet now while I'm told how he was already "breaking the law".

Came here at age 10. Is 40 now. Has had 22 years to sort himself out. And has been married to a USC for several of those years. It’s his own incompetence that got him deported.

[StLucieBengal]

(01-16-2018, 03:18 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: We should hold hostage the livelihood of Americans citizens and people who have lived here since childhood, contributing to this nation, simply to force political opponents to waste billions of our money on stupid campaign promises.

The blowhards say dumb shit like "you should have tried to get legal", meanwhile this guy who was brought here as a child has spent $125,000 in legal fees to try and become a citizen because he loves this country and his family.

Now we're suggesting American citizens should move to Mexico for months or years while this father tries to get back here legally?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/dan-rodricks-blog/bs-md-rodricks-0114-story.html?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Contentutm_content=5a5de24319694a00076c259autm_medium=trueAnthemutm_source=facebook

Much like this piece points out, there's no logical argument in any of this. We say we want to punish criminals and people who leech off of us, but we also go after people who are essentially Americans that are contributing to this nation. The President argues for merit based immigration and then goes after those who should remain here on the merit of what they contribute or calls their homes "shit holes" and questions why we want people who are more educated and end up achieving more success than the average American At some point, we're just punishing them because they're brown.

CR-1 visa doesn’t cost $125,000....... they are around $1500 depending on country of origin.

This guy would be getting a CR-1.

He has an Immigration problem because he put his fate in the hands of some paralegals who probably have 40 other files going. This isn’t Trump’s or ICE’s fault this is his fault for not taking the lead.

[GMDino]

(01-16-2018, 03:15 PM)GMDino Wrote: Whew!  Trump is really getting rid of those "bad hombres"!

Married with children? holding a job and never in trouble with the law?

Yeah! Good riddance!



All seriousness aside: Deporting people like this doesn't make America better in any way shape or form.  

If Trump REALLY went after the rapists/drug dealers at least I'd have respect for what he is doing versus going after the ones who sign up and wait for a path to citizenship.

I'll be quiet now while I'm told how he was already "breaking the law".

(01-16-2018, 03:18 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Came here at age 10.  Is 40 now.   Has had 22 years to sort himself out.  And has been married to a USC for several of those years.   It’s his own incompetence that got him deported.

(01-16-2018, 03:24 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: CR-1 visa doesn’t cost $125,000.......   they are around $1500 depending on country of origin.  

This guy would be getting a CR-1.  

He has an Immigration problem because he put his fate in the hands of some paralegals who probably have 40 other files going.   This isn’t Trump’s or ICE’s fault this is his fault for not taking the lead.

[StLucieBengal]

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

CR-1 guide. And I am sure what happened was they didn’t provide information in a timely manner or used old forms. Once they receive their NOA it would stop deportation because they would be in process.

He got deported because of incompetence. His own mainly.

[GMDino]

(01-16-2018, 03:28 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

CR-1 guide.   And I am sure what happened was they didn’t provide information in a timely manner or used old forms.   Once they receive their NOA it would stop deportation because they would be in process.  

He got deported because of incompetence.   His own mainly.

So he DID try to get help, but got bad help?

That does not fit into your narrative that "they" don't even try to help themselves.

And all that aside, what good comes from deporting him?  

[StLucieBengal]

(01-16-2018, 03:31 PM)GMDino Wrote: So he DID try to get help, but got bad help?

That does not fit into your narrative that "they" don't even try to help themselves.

And all that aside, what good comes from deporting him?  

I am going off what Cuomo said. Just hiring the cheapest attorney to do this isn’t wise. As I have said you can do it yourself. There are a load of scammers taking thousands to do these visas. This is why my wife helps people now because one of friends paid 5,600 to file a visa for his son and the guy never gave them a receipt number so they can never check. That was 2 years ago.

Honestly this is good business now for reputable people. She has thought about promoting her services after we set up an LLC.

[GMDino]

(01-16-2018, 03:39 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I am going off what Cuomo said.   Just hiring the cheapest attorney to do this isn’t wise.   As I have said you can do it yourself.     There are a load of scammers taking thousands to do these visas.   This is why my wife helps people now because one of friends paid 5,600 to file a visa for his son and the guy never gave them a receipt number so they can never check.   That was 2 years ago.  

Honestly this is good business now for reputable people.   She has thought about promoting her services after we set up an LLC.

But that still goes against your narrative that "they" need to to go because they don't try to help themselves.  He did try.

It's almost like you just want them gone no matter how hard they tried.

And it still doesn't answer the question how the country is better by his leaving.

[fredtoast]

So the guy who is all upset about "big government" and "paying taxes" want our big government to spend thousands of dollars of his tax money to throw a guy out of the country who was paying taxes and contributing to the economy. And as a bonus the family of the guy they deported may now have to seek government assistance now that the main breadwinner is out of the country.

How does any of this make sense. It is in the best interest of us all to let this guy stay here, work and pay taxes. Why should any of us want our tax dollars spent on throwing a gut like this out of the country.

[BmorePat87]

(01-16-2018, 03:24 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: CR-1 visa doesn’t cost $125,000.......   they are around $1500 depending on country of origin.  

This guy would be getting a CR-1.  

He has an Immigration problem because he put his fate in the hands of some paralegals who probably have 40 other files going.   This isn’t Trump’s or ICE’s fault this is his fault for not taking the lead.

You're all over the place when trying to hate on Mexicans. First you blame people for not doing anything to get legal. Then when you learn he did, you blame him for trusting legal professionals for not doing it correctly for him. 

Glad to know you support big bureaucracy and unnecessarily spending money over common sense resolutions. 

[BmorePat87]

(01-16-2018, 04:12 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So the guy who is all upset about "big government" and "paying taxes" want our big government to spend thousands of dollars of his tax money to throw a guy out of the country who was paying taxes and contributing to the economy.  And as a bonus the family of the guy they deported may now have to seek government assistance now that the main breadwinner is out of the country.

How does any of this make sense.  It is in the best interest of us all to let this guy stay here, work and pay taxes.  Why should any of us want our tax dollars spent on throwing a gut like this out of the country.

Because he's not Norwegian. 

[*bfine32*]

(01-16-2018, 04:12 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So the guy who is all upset about "big government" and "paying taxes" want our big government to spend thousands of dollars of his tax money to throw a guy out of the country who was paying taxes and contributing to the economy.  And as a bonus the family of the guy they deported may now have to seek government assistance now that the main breadwinner is out of the country.

How does any of this make sense.  It is in the best interest of us all to let this guy stay here, work and pay taxes.  Why should any of us want our tax dollars spent on throwing a gut like this out of the country.

This is not a current administration issue; dude has had a deportation order for 8 years. In all that time the previous administration did nothing but look the other way. What do we want the current admin to do? Look the other way or press congress to act? 

[fredtoast]

(01-16-2018, 05:00 PM)bfine32 Wrote: This is not a current administration issue; dude has had a deportation order for 8 years. In all that time the previous administration did nothing but look the other way. What do we want the current admin to do? Look the other way or press congress to act? 

I don't care which administration is doing it.  I want them to keep looking the other way when we have nothing to gain but something to lose by deporting guys like this.

I agree that congress should take action, but deporting this guy has ne effect on what congress will do.

[*bfine32*]

(01-16-2018, 06:13 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I don't care which administration is doing it.  I want them to keep looking the other way when we have nothing to gain but something to lose by deporting guys like this.

I agree that congress should take action, but deporting this guy has ne effect on what congress will do.

Who know, it might; but I'd prefer our Nation not follow laws.  The more stories like this that get out there the more the citizens may respond. For instance 2 days ago nobody on this board knew who this man was or his story. Somewhere there may be a bright-eyed politician that can use this issue to unite instead of divide. All immigrants are not equal. 

[StLucieBengal]

(01-16-2018, 03:51 PM)GMDino Wrote: But that still goes against your narrative that "they" need to to go because they don't try to help themselves.  He did try.

It's almost like you just want them gone no matter how hard they tried.

And it still doesn't answer the question how the country is better by his leaving.

I can’t help it if he is incompetent. We don’t need them here either.

Incompetent + Illegal = deported

If someone can’t follow basic instructions on how to file paperwork or even be competent enough to hire someone to do it for him then he has proven he doesn’t belong.