A Colorado family fled cartel violence and requested asylum. The father was still detained by ICE.
Family in Colorado faces uncertainty as they navigate the current U.S. immigration system
Family in Colorado faces uncertainty as they navigate the current U.S. immigration system
A Colorado mother is pleading for help after her husband was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during what was supposed to be a routine court check-in.
The couple, who came to the United States with their four children last year, fleeing cartel violence and seeking asylum, had been complying with immigration protocols, including check-ins with ICE. The family asked not to be identified out of fear of retaliation.
"My husband was detained, and I really don't know what to do," the mother said tearfully in Spanish. "I'm just scared to go back to my country."
CBS News Colorado reporter Jasmine Arenas, right, interviews a woman who says her husband was arrested while at a required check-in with immigration officials and is now facing deportation. The woman, who didn't want to be identified out of fear of retaliation, said she and her family fled cartel violence in their home country and had formally requested asylum in the U.S.
CBS
Her husband, Rogelio, was reportedly arrested last week without warning. The family's advocate said ICE officers cited a deportation order, but no such order has been presented, and no record has been found online.
"We got there, and the officer told us they would detain him because he has a deportation order," the mother said.
The couple's attorney and an advocacy group assisting them say Rogelio has no criminal record. Public records reviewed by CBS News Colorado found no criminal charges or convictions in Colorado.
The mother is now left caring for the four children alone, including 7-month-old twin U.S. citizens. She cannot work or drive and is struggling to meet basic needs.
ICE told CBS News Colorado that "most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals" and that "ICE is now following the law."
But immigrant advocates say families like this are being unfairly swept up in immigration enforcement, even while following all government directives to attain citizenship the legal way.
"It is not fair to these people to be taken in for a check-in and then be taken into custody," said Andrea Loya, executive director of Casa de Paz, a nonprofit that supports immigrants in detention. "This seems like a lottery."
"It's something we're hearing about more and more in the community," she said.
The national group Rise Up America is supporting the family. It says cases like Rogelio's show that deportations aren't only targeting criminals.
"This is a hardworking family trying to do everything right," a spokesperson for the group said. "But they're still being targeted."
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