Ricardo 3.

It is the Christmas season.  Half of my living room is filled with Xmas packages and the other half is full of belongings from Ricardo who has been sent to Mexico.  The mix seems strange to me; things are not right.   His step-daughter and I drove 150 miles to St. Louis last Thursday to send his 40 pound suitcase with him.  It cost us $6 to park near the immigration office ; we were warned that parking on the street would bring a St. Louis ticket which we didn’t need.  The ICE center was full of middle aged white men who were very polite to me.  We were shone to the luggage room but then told that they couldn’t accept the suitcase we had (it was one that had been used several times to fly on Air Mexico).  The government charter flight wouldn’t accept it.  Even though it weighed only 40 pounds, it was too big.  We gave money that Ricardo could use to get from the border to Mexico City.  We felt like our trip had been in vain.

We talked with Ricardo several days later. He was glad to be in Mexico and his parents were looking forward to his being with them for Xmas.  This was the tradeoff – they were supported for 10 years but son and parents never saw each other.  I wondered how they would live, but knew that now was not the time to ask.  Ricardo’s younger brother has just crossed the border; maybe it is time for him to support his parents.  Maybe Fed Ex will take some of Ricardo’s things

Antonia

Antonia was brought to the United States by his mother when he was 13 years old.  Now he has been here for 10 years.  He enrolled in high school as a sophomore and graduated.  He earned a “B” in drivers education.  His time in high school included some rough spots and he received two DUIs as well as several other driving tickets.  He started dating Laura when he was 20 and his driving greatly improved.

The couple moved in together three years ago and are currently buying a trailer, furniture and a car.  They had baby Sophia one and a half years ago.  Laura dropped out of high school but is working on her GED.  Last September (2011) Antonia received a ticket for not stopping completely at a stop sign.  He was picked up by ICE and taken to a county jail in Missouri.  Laura was not working and was left with no income.  Fortunately they had saved enough money to pay bills for one month.  In October, she borrowed $5,000 for his bail money and drove to Missouri to return him home.  He had two jobs but lost them both with one months absence.  She took a night job at a fast food restaurant and he has obtained part-time work.  They have used all savings and are under great stress financially.  He has received a notice from ICE saying that he will have an immigration hearing in New Orleans in November of 2012.  They are unclear about what the outcome will be or how to obtain legal representation in New Orleans.  They are model parents and baby Sophia has the temperament and curly hair of little Shirley Temple.  She refuses to let him out of her sight and the only word she knows is da-da.  Laura has taken the GED exam but will not know the results until January.

Ricardo 2.

Someone left all of Ricardo’s possessions on my porch.  His step-daughter is staying with me.  I looked at the pile and thought that it was so ironic that a man came here with nothing across the border 10 years ago, worked two jobs most of the time and leaves with whatever we can pack in a 40 pound suitcase.  He sent money every month to his parents in Mexico and supported whatever household he was in here.  Who will support him and what will his life be like in Mexico?  I called immigration in St. Louis.  They said that we need to bring his 40 pound bag to their office by Friday.  We can’t mail anything.  Who will make the 200 mile trip?  He had wanted to sign a voluntary return paper but I was told that he couldn’t sign one unless he sees a judge again which would not be possible until next April.  He has already stayed in jail for 3 months and is willing to sign a paper granting him voluntary deportation.  His family has to send extra money since he saw a doctor while in the county jail and has to pay for that.  Immigration will take him to the border but he has to pay to travel to Mexico City.  I feel great anger at his treatment and wonder why the taxpayer had to pay for his three months in jail.  None of this makes the community more secure.