Latest news with #NelsonGonzalez
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daughter of couple deported with no criminal record says they were transported 'like animals'
Stephanie Gonzalez says she and her family have endured "heartbreak" since the deportation of her parents, 55-year-old Gladys and 59-year-old Nelson Gonzalez. "They really did not deserve to be treated as criminals," Stephanie Gonzalez, 27, told ABC News on Wednesday, describing how she and her sisters, 23-year-old Gabriella and 33-year-old Jessica, have been "devastated" as their parents, who possess no criminal records and have lived in the United States for 35 years, have been transported like "animals" and placed in "inhumane" conditions. Stephanie Gonzalez said her parents were arrested and detained on Feb. 21 after a routine supervision appointment. That day, Gladys Gonzalez was initially granted a one-year extension to stay in America, prompting her daughter to think that "everything's gonna be fine, like it always is." A few hours later, however, Nelson Gonzalez called to inform the family he was being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that Gladys' extension was revoked and she was being detained as well. "They separated them in separate rooms. They were in rooms alone for hours with no food," Stephanie Gonzalez said. "They had handcuffed them from their hands or from their wrists and from their ankles." She added that it is jarring for her parents to be "treated like criminals," especially since they had "never, ever been in trouble with the law." ICE confirmed to ABC News that Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez do not have criminal records and have been deported to Colombia. It noted that its "routine operations" involve arresting people who commit crimes as well as "other individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws." MORE: 'Nazis got better treatment,' judge says of Trump administration's Alien Enemies Act deportations Stephanie Gonzalez said her parents were transported to detention facilities in different states without knowing where they were going and that she and her sisters had no way of tracking them, calling it "a mess." "It baffles my mind how they're treating people this way," she said, adding that it's "so cruel" that they were "literally moving them around like animals." MORE: Tufts PhD student on visa arrested by immigration authorities, school says Stephanie Gonzalez also said her parents had no way of finding each other while in custody -- they just happened to be on the same plane back to Colombia. "When they got on the plane, everyone started clapping because they knew that they had been reunited after so long," she said, smiling at this "really sweet moment" among the deportees. She added that she feels relieved they are now together in Colombia. Nelson and Gladys Gonzalez came to America in 1989, seeking asylum from violence in Colombia, their daughter said. They then faced multiple instances of "fraudulent" lawyers, she said, including one who wasn't even an attorney and others who ended up disbarred, consequently preventing the proper citizenship paperwork from being filed. Stephanie Gonzalez described this as "so discouraging when you're trying so hard ... to do the right thing." An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that Nelson and Gladys Gonzalez "illegally entered the United States" in 1989. After they appeared before an immigration judge who found "no legal basis" for them to remain in the U.S., ICE said the couple was granted a "voluntary departure" with a final removal in 2000. MORE: Appeals court rejects Trump bid to overturn Alien Enemies Act deportation block Stephanie Gonzalez confirmed that her parents were faced with a voluntary deportation day in 2000, but she added that they subsequently spent over 20 years filing appeals. Though her parents' cases were closed in 2021, Stephanie Gonzalez said they were instructed simply to continue showing up to their supervision appointments and check in with the appropriate authorities. During these supervision visits, Nelson and Gladys Gonzalez consistently got approved to stay in the U.S., though the time frame almost always varied, she continued. "Sometimes, they would get three months. One time, they got one month. One time, I think they got almost three years where they didn't have to appear before immigration," Stephanie Gonzalez recounted. "I think it just shows how broken the immigration system is because there was no set rule," she said, adding that her family always hoped for a "really nice officer." Prior to the supervision visit in February that resulted in her parents' deportation, Stephanie Gonzalez said she and her sisters "weren't necessarily nervous" because they had been accustomed to "getting good news that they could stay in the country." "When I realized that they had gotten arrested and I wasn't going to even be able to say goodbye, it was awful," she said. "The fact that I couldn't even hug them and just … feel their bodies -- like it was really hard on me and my sisters." Stephanie Gonzalez said her parents offered to self-deport and pay for their own flights to preserve their "dignity" but the government refused. She said not only do Stephanie and her sisters now have to grieve their parents' absence but they are also left to settle their parents' affairs and belongings, causing the situation to feel "like somebody died." Stephanie Gonzalez said it has been difficult given how close-knit her family is, especially as she and her sister Gabriella lived with their parents in an apartment in Orange County, California. She also expressed sadness that her parents cannot spend time with Jessica's 7-month-old son, their first grandchild. Her mother was the baby's primary caretaker, and Gabriella had to quit her job to watch after him once their mother was no longer able to, Stephanie Gonzalez added. MORE: El Salvador prison holding alleged Venezuelan gang members has been criticized for alleged abuses Nelson Gonzalez was a certified phlebotomist who drew blood and conducted life insurance exams, his daughter said. He was also a part-time Uber driver, even working overnight to make extra money, with Stephanie Gonzalez emphasizing what immigrants like her parents "contribute to society." She expressed a desire for the public to change the narrative around immigrants, emphasizing that her parents are "hardworking people. … They've paid taxes. They've raised us three to follow the law. … They love America." Stephanie Gonzalez and her sisters started a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $75,000. She noted that she feels "devastated" to hear "so many parents being taken from their kids, families being separated and broken apart." "That is something that should break people's hearts," she said. Daughter of couple deported with no criminal record says they were transported 'like animals' originally appeared on
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Trump crackdown sees couple deported after 35 years in US
Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, a Colombian couple, have been deported after 35 years of living in California. They entered the US without authorisation in 1989 and had been checking in with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) regularly. Despite having no criminal record and raising three US-born daughters, they were detained during one of their regular check-ins and sent back to Colombia on March 18. The couple's daughters described the situation as shocking and unjust, saying their parents had built a life and contributed to their community. The deportation is another example of increased immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, which has been impacting even those with long-term residency and no criminal history.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- The Independent
Trump crackdown sees couple deported after 35 years in US
Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, a Colombian couple, have been deported after 35 years of living in California. They entered the US without authorisation in 1989 and had been checking in with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) regularly. Despite having no criminal record and raising three US-born daughters, they were detained during one of their regular check-ins and sent back to Colombia on March 18. The couple's daughters described the situation as shocking and unjust, saying their parents had built a life and contributed to their community. The deportation is another example of increased immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, which has been impacting even those with long-term residency and no criminal history. California couple deported after 35 years in the US. Three daughters stunned
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California couple deported after 35 years in the US. Three daughters stunned
Two undocumented immigrants with no criminal history after coming to America and three U.S.-born children have been deported after 35 years living in California. Gladys Gonzales, 55, and Nelson Gonzalez, 59, from Laguna Niguel in the hills south of Los Angeles, were arrested during one of their routine check-ins with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) on February 21 and detained for three and a half weeks before finally arriving in their native Colombia on March 18. In a post on GoFundMe, the couple's three adult daughters — who are reportedly all U.S. citizens — said their parents never broke the law after arriving in the U.S. or missed an appointment with immigration authorities. Remaining in the U.S. without authorization is a civil infraction, not a crime, whereas crossing the border without authorization is a criminal misdemeanor. "This sudden occurrence has left us in shock," wrote the daughters. "For nearly four decades, they have built a life here — raising three daughters, giving back to their community, and recently welcoming their first grandchild. "Now, they are being treated as criminals, held in detention centers, and facing deportation. This cruel and unjust situation has shattered our family emotionally and financially. "Every day they remain detained is another stolen from their family, community, and their home." A spokesperson for ICE confirmed the details of the case to The Independent, including that the couple had no criminal history. The agency said that both people had entered the country in November 1989 near San Ysidro, California, and had ultimately "exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S." The case was first reported by The Orange County Register. It appears to be yet another example of the Trump administration's sweeping crackdown on immigration, which has reportedly targeted not only violent criminals but permanent residents, backpackers, visiting academics, asylum seekers, pro-Palestinian activists with green cards, and undocumented immigrants with no criminal record. Officials have invoked an 18th-century wartime law to deport hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador without standard legal procedures, apparently in defiance of a court order, the judge in the case has indicated Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez came to the U.S. during a period of sustained violence and terrorism in Colombia, as the government fought a two-front war against drug cartels and left-wing guerillas. According to ICE, Nelson Gonzalez filed for asylum in 1992 but his case was closed in 1998 after he "failed to attend an interview.' The agency said that both Gonzalezes agreed to leave the country voluntarily in 2000, but then sought a legal way to remain through various courts and appeals processes over the next 21 years, until finally "exhaust[ing] all legal options" in August 2021. ICE declined to say whether and on what basis the Gonzalezes were permitted to stay after that. But historically, many undocumented immigrants subject to deportation have been allowed to remain as long as they meet certain conditions and check in regularly with ICE. This can be due to humanitarian reasons, health reasons, or simply being a low priority for removal.
The Independent
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
California couple deported after 35 years in the US. Three daughters stunned
Two undocumented immigrants with no criminal history after coming to America and three U.S.-born children have been deported after 35 years living in California. Gladys Gonzales, 55, and Nelson Gonzalez, 59, from Laguna Niguel in the hills south of Los Angeles, were arrested during one of their routine check-ins with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) on February 21 and detained for three and a half weeks before finally arriving in their native Colombia on March 18. In a post on GoFundMe, the couple's three adult daughters — who are reportedly all U.S. citizens — said their parents never broke the law after arriving in the U.S. or missed an appointment with immigration authorities. Remaining in the U.S. without authorization is a civil infraction, not a crime, whereas crossing the border without authorization is a criminal misdemeanor. "This sudden occurrence has left us in shock," wrote the daughters. "For nearly four decades, they have built a life here — raising three daughters, giving back to their community, and recently welcoming their first grandchild. "Now, they are being treated as criminals, held in detention centers, and facing deportation. This cruel and unjust situation has shattered our family emotionally and financially. "Every day they remain detained is another stolen from their family, community, and their home." A spokesperson for ICE confirmed the details of the case to The Independent, including that the couple had no criminal history. The agency said that both people had entered the country in November 1989 near San Ysidro, California, and had ultimately "exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S." The case was first reported by The Orange County Register. It appears to be yet another example of the Trump administration's sweeping crackdown on immigration, which has reportedly targeted not only violent criminals but permanent residents, backpackers, visiting academics, asylum seekers, pro-Palestinian activists with green cards, and undocumented immigrants with no criminal record. Officials have invoked an 18th-century wartime law to deport hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador without standard legal procedures, apparently in defiance of a court order, the judge in the case has indicated Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez came to the U.S. during a period of sustained violence and terrorism in Colombia, as the government fought a two-front war against drug cartels and left-wing guerillas. According to ICE, Nelson Gonzalez filed for asylum in 1992 but his case was closed in 1998 after he "failed to attend an interview.' The agency said that both Gonzalezes agreed to leave the country voluntarily in 2000, but then sought a legal way to remain through various courts and appeals processes over the next 21 years, until finally "exhaust[ing] all legal options" in August 2021. ICE declined to say whether and on what basis the Gonzalezes were permitted to stay after that. But historically, many undocumented immigrants subject to deportation have been allowed to remain as long as they meet certain conditions and check in regularly with ICE. This can be due to humanitarian reasons, health reasons, or simply being a low priority for removal.
