ICE Deports Colombian Family After 40 Years in US, Daughter Seeks Answers

Family's Deportation After Decades in the US

• 💔 A family from Colombia, who lived in the US for nearly 40 years, was deported by ICE after a routine check-in.
• ⛓️ Glattis and Nelson Gonzalez, who arrived in 1989, were handcuffed from wrist to ankle and treated as violent criminals during their detention.
• ✈️ They were subsequently deported to Colombia, with their daughter describing their transport as being handled "practically like animals."

Legal Status and Immigration System

• 🏛️ The Gonzalez family raised three US-citizen daughters, paid taxes, and had no criminal history, yet faced deportation.
• ❓ They state they received bad legal advice and their immigration status was always unclear, but they were never bothered by the government until their arrest.
• ⏳ According to current rules, the family may not be able to return to America for as long as 10 years.

Congressman's Intervention and Call for Reform

• 🤝 OC Congressman Mike Leven met with Stephanie Gonzalez and has pledged to help the family.
• 🗣️ Leven expressed surprise at the deportation process and called for bipartisan immigration reform that includes border security and a path to citizenship.
• 🎯 He believes the Gonzalez family's case is an extreme example of current ICE enforcement priorities.

Community Impact and Future Hopes

• 😔 The family is devastated, hoping their history of community service, including helping during COVID and leading Bible study classes, might influence their case.
• ⚠️ The incident is seen as a scary message to others living in the US without documentation, potentially deterring them from seeking legal recourse.