In this
Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo,
supporters of Jorge Garcia hold up
signs that read "Stop Separating
Families" at Detroit Metro Airport.
Garcia was being deported to Mexico
after living in the U.S. for nearly
30 years. (Niraj Warikoo /Detroit
Free Press via AP)
In this
Monday,
Jan. 15,
2018
photo,
Jorge
Garcia
hugs his
wife,
Cindy
Garcia,
and
their
two
children
at
Detroit
Metro
Airport
moments
before
boarding
a flight
to
Mexico.
Garcia,
who had
lived in
the U.S.
for
nearly
30
years,
was
deported
to
Mexico.
(Niraj
Warikoo
/Detroit
Free
Press
via AP)
Detroit
man
deported
to
Mexico
after 30
years in
US
The
Associated
Press
DETROIT
- A
Detroit
man who
had
lived in
the U.S.
for
nearly
30 years
has been
deported
to
Mexico.
Jorge
Garcia
came to
the U.S.
with his
family
when he
was 10
years
old. He
has no
criminal
record,
pays
taxes
and has
long
sought
legal
status,
according
to his
family.
The
39-year-old
landscaper
was
deported
on
Monday
and
can't
return
to the
U.S. for
a
decade.
Garcia
had
faced an
order of
removal
from
immigration
courts
since
2009,
but had
been
granted
stays of
removal
under
former
President
Barack
Obama's
administration.
Garcia
learned
in
November
that
he'd
been
scheduled
to be
deported
as part
of an
immigration
crackdown
by
President
Donald
Trump's
administration.
A
request
from
Democratic
Congresswoman
Debbie
Dingell
pushed
back the
deportation
date to
allow
Garcia
to spend
the
holidays
with his
wife and
two
children,
who are
all U.S.
citizens.
"We
did not
want to
put up a
Christmas
tree
because
it was
way too
sad to
even get
to that
point,"
his
wife,
Cindy
Garcia,
said.
"It was
rough
because
we knew
he was
going to
leave
eventually.
All we
could do
is make
memories."
Immigrant
advocates
say
deporting
people
like
Garcia
separates
families.
"Rather
than
wait to
see what
reforms
are
made,
immigration
officials
came
into
work on
a
national
holiday
to take
Jorge
away
from his
family,"
said
Michigan
United,
a group
that
advocates
for
immigrant
rights
and
other
issues.
Jorge
Garcia
is too
old to
qualify
for the
Deferred
Action
for
Childhood
Arrivals
program,
which
allows
young
immigrants
living
in the
country
illegally
who were
brought
here as
children
to work
and
study in
the U.S.
"I
got to
leave my
family
behind,
knowing
that
they're
probably
going to
have a
hard
time
adjusting,"
Garcia
said.
"Me not
being
there
for them
for who
knows
how
long.
It's
just
hard."
Khaalid
Walls, a
spokesman
for U.S.
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement,
said
Tuesday
that the
federal
government
was
justified
in
deporting
Garcia.
"All
of those
in
violation
of the
immigration
laws may
be
subject
to
immigration
arrest,
detention
and, if
found
removable
by final
order,
removal
from the
United
States,"
Walls
said in
a
statement.