From the United States comes another startling piece of news. A family from Southern California has been devastated as U.S. authorities deported Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, a couple who had lived in America for 35 years. Their three daughters, all born in the USA, are in shock from this sudden incident.
Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on February 21. After being detained for three weeks, they were sent back to their home country of Colombia on March 18.
The Gonzalez couple arrived in the U.S. near San Ysidro, California, in 1989. Over the decades, they built their lives here, raised three daughters, and became an integral part of their community.
According to their daughters, the couple consistently adhered to immigration processes, regularly checking in and seeking legal avenues to remain in the U.S.
"For nearly four decades, they built a life here, raised three daughters, contributed to their community, and recently welcomed their first grandchild. Now, they are being treated like criminals. This is wrong," expressed their daughter, Stephanie Gonzalez.
Immigration attorney Monica Crooms stated that the Gonzalez couple persistently pursued citizenship over the years, paid taxes, and never had legal troubles. Crooms also criticized the deportation that occurred so abruptly without providing any grace period.
The Customs Enforcement department indicated that the Gonzalez couple had run out of all legal options to stay in the U.S. from March 2000 to August 2021. Officials also highlighted that Nelson Gonzalez applied for asylum in 1992, but the case closed in 1998, followed by an order for voluntary departure in 2000.
