Goleta grandmother speaks out after learning ICE will deport her to Mexico
A Goleta grandmother facing imminent deportation to Mexico is speaking out after learning of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s decision to remove her from the country.
Juana Maria Flores has to turn herself in to ICE agents in ten days, after several months of waiting to learn her fate.
Flores said in Spanish, ” Lo que me da tristeza is que voy a dejar a todos aqui . ” — Which roughly translates to, ” What makes me sad, is that I’m going to have to leave everyone here. ”
Her case sparked debate and was well publicized due to its unusual circumstances. Flores came under ICE’s radar after traveling to Mexico to visit her sick mother.
The Goleta resident has 10 children, 15 grandchildren, a disabled son she cares for, and a son on active duty in the U.S. military.
Retired judge Frank Ochoa is one of the lawyers who took up her case pro bono.
” She is not a threat to anyone, ” he said. ” She promotes our national security. It doesn’t make any sense. ”
Flores’ extensive family is standing behind her, heartbroken by the government’s decision to take the matriarch of the family away to Mexico where she doesn’t know anyone and hasn’t lived for 30 years.
” It’s unfair they are doing this. She’s done no harm, and all of a sudden they want to take her out. That’s not right, ” said granddaughter Andrea Gomez.
Flores’ husband Andres, who is a U.S. citizen, has to make the tough decision to stay with the entire family in Goleta , or go with his wife of many years to Mexico.
No matter what happens, Andres said his wife will respect the government’s decision.
” I understand the laws. I know we have to follow the laws, ” he said. ” I don’t want to think anything bad about this country because this country has opened the hand for us. ”
The Flores family continues to hold out hope for a miracle that will save their beloved matriarch from her fate.
Flores must turn herself in on Monday, April 1 for deportation.
Congressman Salud Carbajal , who represents all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County, said he plans to introduce legislation next week inspired by Flores’ plight to make sure similar incidents don’t happen in the future. His office released a statement to our newsroom on Thursday:
” No active-duty servicemember should have to worry about their mother being torn away from her family and home while they are deployed to protect to our nation. That’s why I’m introducing legislation inspired by Juana Flores’s case that will make parents of servicemembers eligible for immigration status adjustment, and ensure that our military families can stay together. ”
