Family devastated as longtime residents are forced to leave
A Colombian couple who lived in the United States for 35 years was deported earlier this month, leaving their three US-born daughters heartbroken. Gladys Gonzales, 55, and Nelson Gonzalez, 59, were taken into custody on February 21 during a routine check-in with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will face deportation to Colombia on March 18, CNN reported.
Despite having no criminal record, the couple had been under immigration scrutiny for years. Their daughters, all American citizens, shared their devastation in a GoFundMe post.
“For nearly four decades, they built a life here—raising three daughters, contributing to their community, and recently welcoming their first grandchild,” they wrote. “This sudden occurrence has left us in shock.”
Years of legal struggles and uncertainty
The couple first arrived in the US in 1989 near San Ysidro, California, without legal authorization. Nelson applied for asylum in 1992, but the case was dismissed in 1998 due to a missed interview, ICE told The Independent.
In 2000, an immigration court issued them a voluntary departure order, allowing them to leave at their own expense instead of facing forced deportation. However, they remained in the US, hoping to find a legal path to stay.
Their attorney, Monica Crooms, said the couple had sought legal help multiple times but was misled by unqualified advisers.
“They spent thousands of dollars on legal representation, some of which wasn’t even from actual immigration lawyers,” she told CNN.
Over the years, their case was reviewed by the Board of Immigration Appeals, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the US Court of Appeals, but no legal solution was found.
Unexpected deportation shocks family
The couple’s daughters said their parents had always complied with ICE check-ins, making their sudden detention even more shocking.
“They are being treated like criminals, held in detention centers, and forced to leave the only home they have known for decades,” they said.
ICE said that the couple had exhausted all legal avenues to remain in the country. While some undocumented immigrants are allowed to stay for humanitarian or low-priority reasons, the agency stated that the Gonzalezes were ultimately required to leave.
Attorney Monica Crooms said that while the couple understood they could be deported one day, they never expected it to happen so abruptly. Their removal has left their family in both emotional and financial distress, struggling to adjust to life without them.
The deportation comes as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on undocumented immigrants, targeting not just those with criminal records but also long-term residents, asylum seekers, and even permanent residents.