One Year Later, Villatoro's Deportation Still Resonates

[TBoneTX 45,569]

The beginning of a news story is below. Links to the earlier stories are within the web article (the link to which is at bottom in the quoted portion). Comments? Sympathy? No sympathy? Why?

One year later, Villatoro's deportation still resonates
Andy Davis

9:23 p.m. CDT March 18, 2016

Sunday marks one year since Iowa City Pastor Max Villatoro was deported to Honduras, and his friends and family say the loss caused by his removal from the country and his community still stings.

Protests, petitions and prayers have filled the year since his deportation, all in an effort to reunite him with his family. That effort will continue in Washington, D.C., next week when supporters will hold briefings with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

His wife, Gloria Villatoro, said Friday that she and her four children have been devastated since his deportation, and every day is a struggle.

"(Max and I) talk every day over the phone, and he talks to the kids on the phone, but it's never the same. It gets to a point that it's kind of hard to have a conversation with someone that's not here," Gloria Villatoro said. "It's hard for the girls, too, the little ones. They say 'Mom, I want to see my dad,' and I have to tell them he's not here, and I don't know when we're going to see him again."

Working in the housekeeping department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Gloria Villatoro said she has trouble juggling her work, caring for her children and day-to-day tasks.

"It's hard to do all of it when it's just me. But I would say the worst part is the hardship of just doing things by myself. I really miss that part of sharing things and doing things together with Max. Now it's everything on me," she said.

One year and counting

Max Villatoro, now 42, was arrested by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer outside his home in Iowa City on March 3, 2015. His arrest was part of a five-day, nationwide "Operation Cross Check" sweep by ICE, targeting convicted criminals living in the country illegally. He was one of 2,059 immigrants arrested nationwide.

He came to the United States from his hometown, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in 1995. In 1999, Villatoro was convicted in Johnson County for drunken driving and in Muscatine County for using a fake name while trying to obtain a state ID. [story continues via link: http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2016/03/18/one-year-later-villatoros-deportation-still-resonates/81972632/ ]

[eieio 1,594]

Illegal actions have consequences. Look at all the killers in jail that have families and children. At least his family is free to go live in honduras.

[Expat1 971]

Could have been a lot of trouble saved if they had done their job in 1999 and sent him home then. No sympathy Tx.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Expat1

[Boiler 45,715]

Why has his wide not petitioned him?

[Expat1 971]

She's a DREAMer dude. She's also here illegally.

[ExPatty 502]

They should have deported him in 1999 when he was illegal and convicted of a crime.

Instead they waited until 2014 by which point he had four US born kids, a fully established life in the US. Then they boot him. He's at fault here for his original event, USCIS is for waiting so long. If removed originally it would have been prudent. At this point it's pretty stupid IMO. Although at the same time, are we to say there's no punishment for entering illegally? That seems to be the view of hillary/sanders.

[Boiler 45,715]

He is Honduran, criminal, was here illegally.

She is Honduran still here illegally.

Children are also Honduran, also anchor babies.

Difficult to see what the problem is.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Question. If she's here illegally too, why wasn't she picked up as well?

[Boiler 45,715]

Question. If she's here illegally too, why wasn't she picked up as well?

She has Anchor babies

Makes you wonder what sort of ID she has been using to enter jail, and get out again..

[Transborderwife 4,666]

She has Anchor babies

Makes you wonder what sort of ID she has been using to enter jail, and get out again..

I thought that babies made no difference

[Expat1 971]

Another article said her parents brought her over when she was a kid, so they were also illegal. She's in DREAM limbo, currently assigned to breeding Trump protesters. God is Great!

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Daca?

[Expat1 971]

I thought that babies made no difference

Seems they did in this case

[Expat1 971]

Daca?

Based on the description of her background - highly probable

[Boiler 45,715]

Too old for Daca I would have thought.