Despite Obama, immigration is still splitting up families

[zuluweta 250]

Link here:

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023709352_westneat28xml.html

Despite Obama, immigration is still splitting up families

The one thing missing from a government immigration case in Shoreline is family values.

By Danny Westneat

Seattle Times staff columnist

There’s no disputing how Jaime Rubio-Sulficio got here. He’ll tell you himself: He sneaked in from Mexico.

“The first time, nine years ago, I came in through Arizona,” he says. “I understand I did bad. I did it to try to improve my life.”

But what’s happened since then is turning the Shoreline man and his family into a test case of sorts for American deportation policy.

Last month, President Obama announced a review of the deportation system because, he said, “We shouldn’t be in the business of tearing families apart who otherwise are law-abiding.”

Tear a family apart is exactly what the government is about to do.

Rubio-Sulficio, 32, has been ordered out of the country by June 30. This though he’s married to an American citizen, has an American son, runs asuccessful stucco plastering business and has no criminal record — save for that one time he was nabbed at the border.

That happened in 2010, after he had gone back to Mexico to take care of his ailing mother. When he tried to cross back to the states, he was rounded up by Border Patrol and spent about a month in detention. He was charged with “illegal entry,” a misdemeanor.

He was eventually released on a bond back to the Seattle area. But because he entered the country illegally more than once, he now faces what is known in immigration law as the “permanent bar”— a potentially lifelong ban from the U.S. regardless of any family ties here.

“It’s a common misconception that someone who is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S. citizen kid won’t be deported,” says Rubio-Sulficio’s Seattle-based attorney, Lori Walls. “They do it all the time. It’s one of the cruelest parts of immigration law, and they’re about to do it again.”

It’s also true that rules are rules. As the Immigration and Customs Enforcement official wrote in ordering Rubio-Sulficio out of the country: “While I am sympathetic to the impact (your) removal from the United States may pose, the circumstances you present are not significantly different from the circumstances of many others unlawfully present in the United States.”

In other words: U.S. policy tears families apart all the time.

Now many of you will argue that if Rubio-Sulficio hadn’t broken the law in the first place then there would be no problem. If you lived in the slums outside Mexico City, as he did, I imagine you’d see this more as a bolt for a better life than a crime. But it’s true — he did break the law.

But how does the punishment at all match the crime?

Rubio-Sulficio’s wife, Keiko Maruyama, has epilepsy and suffers from seizures, but is intent on following him back to Mexico.

“He’s my husband; what else can I do?” she told me through tears.

But Rubio-Sulficio says he won’t let her live in Mexico because there are scant jobs, limited medical care and poor opportunities for his 15-month-old son.

“I’m not going to put my wife and son at risk there,” he said.

So the government will either split this family, forcing a 1-year-old American to be raised by a single mom. Or it will effectively deport two of our own citizens down to Mexico. All to rid our shores of an immigrant success story.

If you were in charge, what would you do with Jaime Rubio-Sulficio?

Well that’s the biggest problem: Nobody is in charge. Obama talks compassion but keeps up the family-splitting deportations. Congress is paralyzed, as Republicans want even more deportations and regard the Democratic ideas as soft.

I’d make him pay a fine and put him on a path to citizenship. Yes, amnesty. I’d also beef up the border while expanding the legal ways to get into the country, so there hopefully would be fewer dilemmas like this in the future.

But any immigration policy should start with what one of dozens of Seattleites pointedly wrote the government in support of Rubio-Sulficio:

“We have enough broken families in the U.S. already. We don’t need to break any new ones.”

Danny Westneat’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. Reach him at 206-464-2086 or dwestneat@seattletimes.com

[Boiler 45,767]

I would wonder why they never filed an I 130 and I 601a.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Gaa! I hate being the downer here..

I want to be sympathetic but.. Look if I go out and commit a murder today and get caught I will end up in prison. This will devastate my wife, my mother, my family.. This is not stated in the media as "law enforcement splitting up families." though that would clearly take place.. I took an action that had possible consequences and chose to do it anyway. Whos fault? My fault.

In this case.. He knew his situation, where it could lead, what could happen.. Still he chose to follow that route and put himself and his family in that position. He is at fault. His child is a victim but Immigration is not the victimizer, he is... Not that it matters, he has a permanent ban so what? He is in Mexico.. He has to be back on June 30th so he will just cross back over on July 1st and be home for 4th of July weekend. His situation will be exactly the same as before.

And similar to the guy that was a manager for Best Buy for years after they new he was here illegally.. How does he own a business (he is listed as the owner) that is bonded and have a million dollar insurance policy?

Edited May 30, 2014 by OnMyWayID

[zuluweta 250]

What I find curious is the spin that somehow, it's Obama's fault. It's Congress that has plenary power over immigration, for crying out loud! Congress made immigration law, Congress is the one that needs to be lobbied to introduce changes to the law. That's what immigrant rights advocates need to do.

[ricsim78 11]

Well, it is sad to hear he is being deported but the key word here is ILLEGAL. He is not law-abiding, he is a guy who snuck in (and out) multiple times and got caught multiple times. So he was not exactly smart about it and he tested the waters too much.

He should have never been here to begin with. What many people do not realize is not only do Illegal immigrants cost the country huge sums of money, you and I and everybody gets to pay for them. They take jobs from legit workers, I work in multiple factories and I know quite a few completely staffed by Illegal Immigrants. WHOLE factories or mills, with 200 workers or more. Often getting paid under the table by companies who want to get the same work done for half the cost of a legit worker.

Like I have stated before, while I think people should strive to better their lives, I understand they often leave behind desperate or dangerous situations. The problem is they affect many people as well and cost our countries millions per year. From a moral standpoint, I honor the fact they live a better life here in general and have lots more opportunity to better themselves. But many take full advantage of the system and the fact they are treated better than homeless or otherwise people living in poverty is a messed up fact.

Like many things, there are different sides of the coins or different perspectives, but Illegal immigrants hurt this country and also make it harder for those who are trying to legally immigrate to this country. I do not feel too bad for this guy, he made the choice to come here illegally, he made more choices which landed him in trouble. No family would be broken up if he never came here to begin with. If I steal something (which I would never do, but for the sake of conversation) and I have to leave my family to go to jail, would you feel sorry for me? Even if I was poor, even if it was food I stole, you would see me as a thief and/or criminal and not give me a second thought. Also, who is responsible for me being in jail? Illegal is illegal, I do not feel sorry for him at all. He came here illegally, his first crime, he got caught going back and forth. Not smart of him but if you play with fire too much, you end up getting burned.

Edited July 1, 2014 by ricsim78

[ricsim78 11]

One more thing, do not demonize Immigration over this matter. The guy is illegal, they are doing their job according to law. The victims are his family, the person who did the wrong is himself. It is not our fault the government of his own country did not allow for him to make a better life, so he risked all just to come here and better himself. The problem is, he broke multiple laws and those laws are in place for reasons. Whether good or bad reasons is open to opinion but law is law.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Why do people play the victims when they knowingly sneak into the US?

Who is blame when a person knows he can be deported and choose to have a family in the US?

Who put the family in these positions? Those in charge of enforcing the laws that have existed for a long time or those who violate the laws and take their chances?

If I rob a bank and/get separated from my family, am I going to blame the cops for separating me from my family?

[UncleBeer 244]

What I find curious is the spin that somehow, it's Obama's fault. It's Congress that has plenary power over immigration, for crying out loud! Congress made immigration law, Congress is the one that needs to be lobbied to introduce changes to the law. That's what immigrant rights advocates need to do.

Huh? There are immigration laws already in place. The preznit has simply chosen to ignore them. DACA is the perfect example; Congress turned down similar legislation numerous times, so ultimately Obama 'sidestepped' Congress with his little pen and his little phone, instead of truly lobbying for reform. The disrespect this guy shows for existing laws, the legislative process, and all Americans is appalling.

[Jawaree 718]

Many things causes families to split, I will make no judgments

but everyone cause is important, congress passed a draconian

law where LPR 1st time offenders can be deported after paying

tax for years,while others sneak in and gain benefits never contributing

I am not sanctioning harden criminals or gangs, but its a me me world

and people sit outside playing by the rules to get in with families. Since

all these new kids and ppl are here will waivers be re-address in reform

lets hope so.

[Blueblood 5]

Can someone please explain to me how individuals who openly break the laws of another country, can later complain said country is "breaking up my family!?"

Who is stopping them from uniting in their home country?

[Jawaree 718]

This is a nation of immigrants & I do believe ppl

should wait their turns & enter legally, however we

don't live in a perfect world & will find rules get

broken, fore-parents who came thru Ellis Island did

not have to endure as much as ppl do now, with world

population explosion, it is too much for the USA, & a

National Security system that needs to be on a tight

reign cannot be forgotten , many are leaving from

their continents to Mexico blending in with them and

crossing, Mexicans mainly come for economic reasons &

better lives, its the ones who are coming to try and

change the west & murder us I really worry about

About time the Prez sit with congress on the issue &

right now it seem a luck of the draw with these ppl They

may get ICE visits in the new Admin. if they are still

illegals in 3 yrs. They should start saving and shipping

to go home & build their countries.

[Blueblood 5]

This is a nation of immigrants & I do believe ppl

should wait their turns & enter legally, however we

don't live in a perfect world & will find rules get

broken, fore-parents who came thru Ellis Island did

not have to endure as much as ppl do now, with world

population explosion, it is too much for the USA, & a

National Security system that needs to be on a tight

reign cannot be forgotten , many are leaving from

their continents to Mexico blending in with them and

crossing, Mexicans mainly come for economic reasons &

better lives, its the ones who are coming to try and

change the west & murder us I really worry about

About time the Prez sit with congress on the issue &

right now it seem a luck of the draw with these ppl They

may get ICE visits in the new Admin. if they are still

illegals in 3 yrs. They should start saving and shipping

to go home & build their countries.

Can the whole world live in the United States? I think we all know the answer to that question...

It's not about race, political correctness, or even "fairness." It's being realistic about the Rule of Law and our nation's carrying capacity. If we blow up either of them, no one will want to come here anyway.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

You can come here illegally looking for a better life, but you're not owed a better life. This happening was part of the risk that was assumed when crossing illegally in the first place. He just happened to roll snake eyes.

Too bad. It's not the government "tearing families apart," it's their own poor decision making.

[Starletha 11]

I don't understand when people immigrate illegally and say "they had no idea". I don't believe this. They knew what they were doing was wrong and now it has come back to haunt him. It's sad but he should not have been in the US illegally for all those years without making proper plans to become a US resident and then citizen.