My Husband's Father was Deported Yesterday

[allousa 1]

I cannot begin to accurately describe the nightmare that my husband, his family, our son and I have been through the last two days.

Tuesday afternoon, my husband, son and I went to the airport to pick up his parents. They were coming for a four week visit. They flew from Morocco to Frankfurt and then direct to Charlotte. We waited and waited in baggage claim for them and found out that all the people from their flight had come through. After we were sent to no less than 4 different counters in different sections of the airport (each saying they couldn't help us and to go somewhere else), we finally found out that some people were being held in Customs, but they would not verify that it was his parents. Keep in mind that his father is 70 and mother 65 and only his father speaks a very small amount of English.

My husband gets a call on his cell phone from the Customs people asking to confirm the address that their parents are going to be visiting. My husband gives them the information and tries to ask them questions but the officer hangs up. After waiting for an hour (at this point his parents have been held for 2 hours), and also keep in mind that our 2 year old son is with us and acting like a wild beast in the airport, we try and approach the Customs exit door to find out what is going on. They start yelling at us to go back to the baggage claim and I just lost it. An officer comes out and approaches me and asks what is the problem. I explained to him that we've been sent all over the airport trying to find out about my husband's elderly parents who speak no English and that no one will give us any information as to their condition, where they are and how they are. The officer proceeds to tell us that they are just completing some paperwork and that they will be out in a few minutes and to just wait in the baggage claim area.

After another hour, my son is in the worst meltdown mode because it's his bedtime and he has only had a bag of M&Ms and lemonade at this point. Remember that baggage claim has no restaurants or shops, only vending machines...at least the one does in Charlotte. So I take our son out to the car and to find a fast food place close by the airport. We then waited in the Cell Phone Lot, so that my husband could just call once his parents came out and I could just drive up and pick up everybody. After another 45 minutes, he calls and says that they have released his mom but not his dad and that I need to come inside. I approach the Customs door and they start yelling at me to go back and when I told her my husband just called for me to come there the officer starts yelling at me saying she doesn't care and to go back. After a phone call to my husband who was in Customs, got an officer to meet me, I was finally able to meet up with him and my MIL and husband. I find out at this time that they've even taken my husband back for questioning and pulled his green card.

Finally they let his father come into the waiting room and my husband starts asking him what all has happened. My FIL tells my husband that they asked him all kinds of questions about where he works and general information but nothing at all political in nature. My FIL explained to the officers that he received his visa from the U.S. State Department and the Customs officers told him that they don't recognize the State Department! #######!!!???!!!!!

By this time it is close to 11:00pm and his parents have been detained since 3:15pm. I have not mentioned that sometime around 10:00pm my son's diaper is so soaked through and he is soaking wet that the diaper just started falling apart and pieces of it were falling out of his shorts and pee was running down his leg. We didn't have any diapers with us as we didn't expect to be at the airport for 7 hours. I was allowed to go out to baggage claim and beg someone for a diapers and some wipes.

[RAKASA 0]

OMG... how horrible I'm so sorry... I hope that you are now posting a brighter outcome as I see you typing. (F)

[♥JP♥ 5]

OMG what a nightmare! So did they give your husband back his greencard? What was their reason for deporting your FIL? I'm soooo sorry you had to go through this.

[*JG* 2]

OMG....so what happened?

[amal 4]

holy #######! what do they mean they don't accept visas from the state dept? what a load of bull! what happened next? why did they deport him? what the he!! is their problem???

I really hope things turn up a little better for u all..

amal

[jundp 191]

Oh my gosh!!!

I hope everything is ok.

[~*Dorothy*~ 2]

This is just insane!!!

[allousa 1]

Upon my return to the waiting room in Customs, I find out that they have decided to deny my FIL entry and are going to do an expedited removal. They rush his parents and my husband to the gate to make the plane (my husband, so he could say goodbye), but then the plane has mechanical problems and they have to wait in Charlotte.

It is then that they tell us they are going to hold his father in a detention center, which I soon find out is our county jail. His father is 70 years old, has never spent a day in his life in jail and is an elementary school teacher. My husband begs and pleads for the officers to take him instead of letting his father be taking to jail but they just tell us to shut up and sent down...which they have been telling us to do the whole time. And let me add...we have repeatedly asked why they are holding his father and why he is being deported, but they would never tell us why. They would simply reply that because of the Privacy Act, they cannot release any information to us. So since his father does not understand why, how can we?

I cannot tell you the anguish I felt having to watch my husband explain to his father that he was going to be search, handcuffed and taken to jail. My husband NEVER cries and he had tears rolling down his face having to tell his father this. The officers told us that he would be held in the Immigration Center in a "room" by himself and that he would be okay.

We got home around 1:00 in the morning and I can tell you that none of us slept. Most of the night was spent on the phone with my husband talking to his brothers back home. My family was completely horrified by what was happening as well. The next morning, we tried to find out how his father was doing but was never able to get any information.

Members of my family came over to bring my MIL gifts just to let them know how sorry this was happening and that they were loved. His mother had decided to go back with her husband rather than stay and who could blame her at this point. We were unsure prior to getting to the airport if she was able to be on the same flight since it had been overbooked.

Once we got back to Customs, we were told she was able to fly and that we had to get her checked in. I have to mention that yesterday the officers were OVERLY nice to us. Some of them were the same officers as the night before. We were given gate passes so that we could go through security and to the gate. We had yet to be reunited with his father, but once we cleared the security section, they came and got us at the gate and we were able to spend about 45 minutes together before they left.

My FIL tells us about spending the night at the jail. He was put with the general population and NOT in a room by himself. We had been told lie after lie by these people, but were still having to kiss their azzes to protect his parents. When it was time to leave, the escorted us all to the gate. It was so humilating because I am sure that everyone there knew what was going on since the Customs Officers were with us. And of course everyone just stared. They allowed my husband and I to go through the gate and down a little ways so that we could say goodbye. I was a sobbing mess and so was my MIL. My FIL just kept his pride and class the whole time. He even looked at the officer and told him "I am a friend of America". The officer just looked down and said nothing. My husband then purposely asked the officer, "This was all a misunderstanding, isn't it?" and the officer looked at him, nodded his head and said, "Yes, it's a misunderstanding". And then they took them and loaded them onto the plane. My husband and I went home exhausted and so very sad and did our best to put our son to bed and then fall into bed ourselves.

We had a rough time this morning when we didn't have confirmation they had gotten on the flight going back to Morocco. But I just heard from my husband that his brother now has his parents with them and they are headed home.

We have already talked to a lawyer that specializes in Immigration and Customs and some things that took place are not quite right. We still don't know the reason for his removal as the documents were given to him in a sealed envelope upon his departure. We are waiting for his parents to scan the documents in and send them to us.

I know that mean people will say...well they are Arabs and that is just how things have to be for this country to be safe. But after having been treated so badly ourselves, not just his parents, I am left wondering where has the humanity gone in this country. I am still in shock that this all happened and left wondering why. Why....why such warm, generous and kind-hearted people were treated like criminals without even a reason why.

My MIL who is actually from Gaza told me that in all the times that she has been traveling to Gaza, the Israeli soldiers never treated her as badly as the Customs people did in Charlotte.

I know that this will scare people who have loved ones that need to come into the States, but you need to know that this can happen and does. I pray that none of you have to go through the hell that we just did. What turns my stomach even more, not just from what they did to my FIL, but the fact that we endured such hell and separation for 7 years dealing with my husband's Immigration case only to have something like this happen.

If it weren't for the fact that I have a couple of family members here that I MUST take care of, I would leave this country TOMORROW! My heart is broken over this.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

#######!

[Henna Rose 0]

This is just horrifying My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

[caybee 21]

I am at a complete loss for words. My heart aches for all of you, and I share your anger. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Your family is in my thoughts.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

I am speechless....

[♥JP♥ 5]

Wow....I don't know what to say. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this was for your family. I can't even imagine having to tell a 70 year old man he has to spend the night in jail. I am so sorry this happened to you.

[MHandMB 0]

I am flabbergasted. I have always loved my country, but this makes me sick and ashamed. I remember how well I was treated in Algeria, and how warm my husband's family, friends, and even neighbors were to us, and it breaks my heart to think of a single one of them being treated as your father in law was treated. God bless you and your family.

[~*Dorothy*~ 2]

This is truly appalling and horrifying. I am so sorry that your family had to go through this horrendous experience. (F)