Immigration Detention: Good old fashion vacation!

Apparently ICE as developed new guidelines on how immigrants should be treated while be held in detention. For years this has been referred to as a "detention" but when you get down to it people are being IMPRISONED. The House Judiciary Committee Chairman is Rep Lamar Smith from Texas and according to him:

"The Obama administration’s new detention manual is more like a hospitality guideline for illegal immigrants.  The administration goes beyond common sense to accommodate illegal immigrants and treats them better than citizens in federal custody. "

Mr. Smith, I beg to differ. When my husband was held for almost a year he was held in county JAILS where he was treated worse than an animal. He was fed just enough food to keep him alive. He did not receive adequate medical treatment for a skin infection he developed upon beginning his "holiday". He was verbally abused and was not even allowed to feel the warmth of the sun or breath clean air. He wore prison clothing and was put in solitary confinement when ever the guards deemed it so, God forbid anyone made too much noise with their playing cards or accidentally kicked a door or put their foot on a chair. My son ripped at his nails until they bled. I was sleep deprived for almost a year and now we live in constant fear my husband may be ripped from our lives once more. Mr. Smith, this is no "holiday" and to even think it as so is disrespectful, cynical and down right insulting.

What you are doing, Mr. Smith, is wrong, inhumane and goes against every moral fiber that made this country what it is today. There is a better way of handling this countries immigration problems. Criminalizing immigrants, holding them in prisons and destroying families is not the way. We all have choices in life and our choices bring one of two things: Peace or Destruction. Your choices have not brought peace and are destroying families all across this country. You believe you are doing what is right but your decisions have unforeseen consequences.

I pity you, Mr. Smith. We can see the anger you hold within through the destruction you create. Such anger will only destroy you. I will pray you will never have to suffer what so many families have suffered because of you, but I will pray that you are removed from office swiftly and that you will find yourself in a place where your destructive decisions have no impact on anyone ever again.

We got hitched!

My sister-in-law, Cairo and I drove early morning on Saturday to the detention center where Jose is currently being housed.  We were supposed to be there by 8am and arrived about a half hour early.  We were informed that it would be a while since the Judge had to look at 19 cases before we would be up in front of him.  I asked 3 different officers if they would let Cairo in with me, I was denied 3 times.  To there credit they seemed really sorry for denying the request, I understand rules are rules and they have to follow orders.

It was finally our turn, an officer came and got us.  Cairo and my sister-in-law would be allowed to watch the ceremony from another room through a window.  I walked in and saw my Gordo in his orange jump suit.  The first thing I asked was if I could hug him and I just grabbed him before they could even respond 'Yes'. Tears just came flowing and all I could do was pray that moment would last forever.  The Judge told us to hold hands and the ceremony began.  For some reason the words coming from the Judge had much more meaning and I hung on every word as we squeezed each others hand.  Finally he told Jose to kiss the bride.  He asked us to come forward to sign our names.  We hugged good-bye and that was that.

My sister-in-law said all the officers in the room with us were smiling ear to ear, there were at least 4 standing behind us.  I think there so many because Jose was not handcuffed.  I suppose we will be the talk of the town for a bit, I can't imagine they have prison weddings very often.  We couldn't stay for visitations, they were not going to be for another 2-3 hours and my sister-in-law had to go back home.  That day my co-worker stopped by with a carrot cake :D  She was so sweet, she said "I didn't know what was appropriate, so I got you cake!".  That night Cairo and went to visit a couple friends of mine.  One made me a congrats card and the other made me a mini wedding cake!  They are so funny. Plus she brought a bottle of wine to toast.  Another friend sent a gift card.  I swear this time around we got more cake, gifts and congratulations then the first time!! I am very lucky to have friends like these.  I really wish Jose was there with us to share the cakes and wine.

The next morning Cairo and I drove out to the prison again to see Jose.  We got there about 30 minutes early, some time after noon they called his name and we both jumped up.  We were sent to a room full of monitors and video cameras.  The visitation is via video....considering you are not allowed anything into the visitation room, no jackets, phones, keys...etc..God forbid we try to sneak something through the glass most prisons have.  Any way, we sat and within moments Jose was on the screen, it was great to see him again.  There was a phone to talk through, Cairo was really excited to see his dad and Jose was really happy to see us.  It was a 30 minute visit and since there are a max of 2 people who can visit him for 30 minutes a week (total, not each), we can not go back until next Sunday and they are sticklers on this rule.  I'm just glad I can see my Gordo every week until this is all over.

His next court date is Monday the 21st.  We have not heard from anyone about the old case.  I can only pray that this gets resolved soon so Jose can finally come home.

I'm getting MARRIED!!!!!!

Just had to share :D  We're getting married this Saturday!  I have to be there at 8am which means we need to be up and on the road by 6:30am...yaaawwn...but I will be there with bells on!   I just can't wait to give my Gordo a big ol' hug and kiss!  It's going to be done in the court house and I will be taking Cairo with me.  I don't know if the judge will let Cairo see Jose, other than through a glass window O.o, but you bet that will be my primary request. Even if I give Gordo the kiss and Cairo gives the hug.

I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR SATURDAY!!!!!

Jose's in the hole

Apparently there was some kind of minor incident last Wednesday (August 3, 2011) that resulted in a bunch of guys including Jose to be put in the hole.  The hole for some who don't know is solitary confinement.  They are not allowed to shower, are not given razors to shave, can not buy food from the commissary, can not write home (and I'm guessing can not receive mail) and are limited to when they can call home.

It's been a week and he's still in the hole.  He and the others there complained to the warden.  They were not involved in any fights (unlike others) and try to keep to themselves yet they are being held in solitary confinement.  The wardens response was that he did not have to listen or speak to them and that he simply did not want them there at the detention center and will keep them in the hole until space is available at another location!!!  He has submitted a request to have them moved to another county.  If he is moved I only pray that it's closer than where he is now.

I simply can not understand why people with CIVIL offenses are being treated like murderers and rapists.  It's inhumane and unjust.  Even if they were real criminals to deprive them of being able to shower and communicate with their loved ones is not right.  My stomach hurt just hearing him tell me what had happened.  I wish I can just go over there and get him.  I think the warden is abusing his authority and it's killing me that I can't do anything about it.  Mr. Little B. said to document everything and hopefully something can be done when Jose is released. They are being treated worse than animals and it's disgusting.

The more this kind of stuff happens the more I feel like throwing in the towel and just getting away from this awful place that does nothing but imprison as many people it can for the sake of giving the select few the illusion they are safe while making billions of dollars in the process.  I am down right angry that this is happening and that no one seems to care that it's happening.

GOD BLESS AMERICA 

The land of the free, as long as you keep your mouth shut and stay at the bottom.

Tri County Detention Center

Driving out of the neighborhood

**Edit** Two weeks ago Thursday (Not last Thursday) I spoke to Mr. Little B.  We talked about Jose's skin infection that continues to go on untreated.  He said if I could see it with my own eyes we might be able to get Jose out for medical treatment.  It's a 6 hr drive, one way.  It was Thursday evening, Jose was going to have court that Monday so you know what I did?  I got my butt on the road the next morning and headed to Tri County Detention Center in Ullin, IL.  My brother, Chris, was awesome enough to take the trip with me....more like drive me down there.  He's a truck driver, a pretty damn good one at that, and he was used to driving for a ton of hours at time.  There's no one else I would have wanted on this trip with me.

I was a little weirded out that I would be taking a 12+ hr round road trip with my brother.  Never in my life did I think we would be doing something like that and considering how *well* we get along I was more concerned about being left on the side of the road in the middle of no where.  Obviously that didn't happen :D

The drive out of the city was pretty decent, we left his house about 10AM.  Filled the tank and headed to the highway.  As we're driving out I started having all kinds of thoughts.  This was our first conversation:

Driving out of the city

Me: Dude, I feel bad for mom.

Chris: What? why?

Me: Well you  know, we're her only kids.

Chris: Yeah, so?

Me: Well...what if something happens to us?

*Silence*

Chris: Why you gotta be so negative?

Corn feilds!!

As we're driving we spotted a Sheriffs van, and all kinds of theories started pouring out of us as to where they were going.  At first we though they were hauling more people down to Tri County....yeah I know we just started our trip and we were already on the immigration defense bandwagon.  Along the way the scenery was pretty peaceful.  Lot's of corn fields and farms.  I do have to say I did see a sign along the highway that said....and I quote...."Prepare for War".  Sadly I couldn't take a picture of it. We were on a mission, a 6 hr drive, one way, mission.  Plus I didn't see it until it was super close and we zoomed by it pretty quick.  If you're following me on twitter, you saw my comment about that.

Chris afer the Bohemian Rhapsody Rock out Session

I'm amazed almost every single exit had a McDonalds...that's where we stopped for lunch.  Did't take a picture if it cuz, well, you know they're EVERY WHERE.  I have to say I give my brother lots of props for being focused on this driving.  We didn't need to get gas until we were about 3/4 into our trip.  So close yet so far away I kept thinking.  We didn't really need a GPS, the drive is essentially a straight shot off if 57 but we used it along the way for sanity and to see what gas stations and restaurants were up ahead.  Apparently Big Red drinks Shell only and we were damn near close to being stranded in the middle of no where with no survival gear.  Now that I think about it my friend over at the Esteveban Files needs to do a post about that.  Yeah I'm plugging my friends blog, I listen to what he says and I'm still alive...nuff said.  We got to a gasoline station and the whole way this dumb broad (yeah it's a female voice)  kept saying "Road Recalculation"...it was annoying, we knew what we were doing after all,  but we let her slide.  She's finally happy when we get back on 57 South.

Tri County Detention Center

When we got to our exit, thank GOD,  the creepy voice coming from the electrical device tells us to go left when we need to go right.  Good thing we had a printed map that Chris looked at before taking off....so we went right.  Drove less than a mile and got to Tri County Detention Center.  The place is a lot smaller than what I expected.  It's about the size of a Walmart.  Barbed wire all over the place.  We arrived just before 4pm, visiting hours are 5pm - 9pm we went inside any way and there was girl in the office. I told her we drove for 6 hours and were there to visit someone.  Apparently they  make no exceptions.  You don't get in before 5 pm.  I understood, I was still annoyed none the less, she's just doing her job right?  Well come 4pm she locked the doors and left.  Someone was supposed to come at 5pm to open up shop.  We headed to the gasoline station that was less than a block or so away for a break.  We stayed there for a bit and went back.  The lot was still empty the doors were still locked.  After we parked we saw a van, driven by officers, come int. It had a couple guys in there, we figured they were restocking the money makers.  Not too long after that another van left with some more guys in the back dressed in prison cloths, so we guessed they were being taken to another facility or into the city.  Then the worst thought came into my head "What if he's not even here anymore?".

By the time 5pm came a couple cars showed up with two families.  We all waited at the door but no one came to unlock the door.  I asked the other families if it was there first time there, they said no.  So I asked if they were punctual at opening the doors, they said "nope".  I also asked them what kind of a "detention center" this was.  I thought it was odd that a "detention center" would have barbed wire all over the place.  They responded that they held all kinds of prisoners but "they mostly hold immigrants, cuz you know they get a lot of money for them".  Needless to say that Cuentames Immigrants for Sale Video came to mind.

Barney Fife finally came to open the door.  We showed him our IDs, he signed us in and took Chris's car keys.  The metal detector didn't work so he used a wand on us which kept backfiring because it kept detecting his keys.  After he was done scanning everyone he led us to another room where he radioed for the door to open then to another, finally we were in room filled with smaller 6'X6' rooms made of cement block.  We entered the last room in the row and waited.  There was a phone and a 12"X12" window.  As we waited it started to hit Chris where we were and why.  The same thing happened to me the first time I went to see Jose a the local prison he was being held before being transferred to Tri County.  It doesn't really hit you until you are there going through the process of seeing the person and then your loved one is actually there.

 Jose, finally, was brought in.  Let's just say the look on his face was priceless.  He didn't know we were going to be there so he was totally surprised.  His eyes started to tear up the moment he saw us and of course I started to cry.   I got to see the back of his head which, I admit, I wished was worse.  It did look too bad but  it looks to be spreading.  I didn't think it was bad enough to get him out for medical attention but we'll see.  We talked for the allowed time, Chris and I took turns on the phone and Jose was just really happy to see us there.  I would have taken Cairo with me but I didn't think he could handle the ride.  We said our good byes and we were back on the road.  I wished we could have brought him back home with us.  I can not wait for that day when he's home and Cairo can finally hug and squeeze his dad.


On the way back we had dinner at a Steak N Shake (yes I had a shake), saw a beautiful sunset, found ourselves in a thunder storm and saw some awesome lightening.  I tried to get a picture of lightening but it would refuse to show itself when ever I got ready for a shot.  Oh well.  We hit some traffic when we got to 55, which is beyond me why there were so many people out and about at 1am, I wanted to get to my bed and these people were getting in my way.  I got home and was in bed by 2am.

I LOVE YOU GORDO!

200 what?!?!

I got last months phone bill...yup it was over 200 bucks, more than double from last month.  A total of about 8 phone calls from Jose cost me over $150.  I was shocked...that's about how much money we raised this weekend to be used towards attorney fees.  I'll admit it, my first reaction was to cry but I told myself to postpone the river till after I called the phone company.  Good thing I did, they were nice enough to work something out and let me pay it spread out in several months.  Who would have thought that phone calls would cost so much?  I mean I knew it could get expensive but what the hell?  It's a total rip off.  Not only is the CCA making money off of Jose being there but somebody is making booku bucks off of those phone calls home.  It's a rip off I tell ya!  A RIP OFF!!

So call nights are gonna be once a week and we gotta keep 'em short and sweet.

He finally called!!

Jose finally called today!  Thank GOD!  He didn't call yesterday for the very same reason I thought.  He's ok, he got to see the Dr. and got some meds and lotion,  Hopefully the infection will clear up soon.

On an other note...there was a memo sent out by ICE, it was announced at the AILA conference in San Diego, I've been keeping tabs via twitter and articles:

"In a fix likely to have broad practical effect, Mr. Morton issued a memorandum that greatly expanded the factors immigration authorities can take into account in deciding to defer or cancel deportations. Agents are now formally urged to consider how long an illegal immigrant has been in the United States, or whether the immigrant was brought here illegally as a child and is studying in high school or college.

In practice, the memorandum gives immigration agents authority to postpone or cancel, on a case by case basis, deportations of illegal immigrant students who might have been eligible for legal status under a bill stalled in Congress that is known as the Dream Act.

The authorities are also instructed to give “particular care and consideration” to veterans and active duty members of the military, especially if they have been in combat, and to their close relatives.

Mr. Morton also expanded the authority of federal lawyers who handle cases in immigration courts to dismiss deportation proceedings against immigrants without serious criminal records."

I just hope it means good news for us. 

*CROSSING FINGERS*

He hasn't called since Sunday!!

Geese!  Jose was supposed to call on Wednesday. The phone rang but there was nothing on the other end so I hung up. I watched the phone like a hawk and nothin!


I thought he'd call last night, but he didn't.  I hope that's because the phones are turned off on Thursdays and don't turned off till really late.  That's when people are taken to be deported. I guess they don't want people to call their loved ones to let them know?


I don't know if I should be concerned or not.  He's had a bad skin infection since he's arrived at the prison.  He's got sensitive skin and it's not taking well to the sheets or soap or something.  The nurse has only been giving him some pomada to put on there but it hasn't been working :( 


I hope he's ok and calls tonight.

Call Nights

Call nights are a huge deal now.  We can't afford Jose calling home every night so he calls about 1-2 times a week.  When he was at a county prison for a month it cost about $120 for him to call my cell phone and a service provided by the correctional facility.

For those who don't know, you can't receive collect calls on cell phones.  You have to prepay to get calls through and the fees are huge!  You basically open an account where you deposit money.  There is a flat fee to deposit money to the account, then there is a fee to connect the call then there is a per minute fee and a monthly fee if you have the service for longer than a month.  If you add all that up it can be *very* costly to talk to your loved one in prison.  The more you look at this the more you realize how much of a rip off this is.  If you think about it,  you won't find rich people in prisons,  people who can afford to pay all those fees just to communicate with loved ones.  The majority are lower income and probably can't afford to make those calls or set up those accounts.  The system is set up to alienate the inmates from their families as much as possible, I can't help but wonder why?

We can't afford for Jose to call home very often so we have call nights, once Jose calls home we set a date for the next time he's going to call.  They are usually 3-5 days apart depending on what is going on.  I've set up a land line at home, the cheapest I could find, just so that he can call home and I wouldn't have to pay to deposit money into an account every time the phone account ran low.  Do you know it's like to not speak to your husband or wife for 3-5 days not knowing how they are?  For 3-5 days I don't know if he's ok, hurt or sick.  I can only pray that he is ok and that God is looking out for him.  I feel like a zombie at work, my mind wonders, I'm unfocused and find myself sad and crying through out the day.

As call day keeps getting closer and closer I hope and pray that he's change his mind and will call sooner than planned.  I toss and turn every night, I still wake up a few times during the night.  I couldn't sleep or eat the first month he was away.  When that night finally arrives every minute that passes is an eternity.  I go through my routine with my son and I just look at the clock, I watch every single minute pass and my stomach sinks deeper and deeper as the phone refuses to ring.  I get to the point that I check the phone for a dial tone and I call it with my cell just to make sure it still works.  When the phone finally rings my heart jumps and this feeling of relief comes over me when I hear the automatic message saying it's him calling.  I have to fight the tears when I am finally able to say "Hi Gordo!" and I can hear his voice on the other end.  You can hear the sadness mixed with the relief and joy to hear our voices when he speaks.  Tomorrow is call night, and I am a mess.

Really Emotional Reading

I recently read the blog written by Emily Guzman.  Their families experience left me in tears, not only because it brought out the emotions from what we are going through but because another family suffered great pain as a result of the current immigration policy.

Emily and Pedros story has given me hope and inspiration.

Jose has been in an immigration prison for almost three weeks now.  He still does not have a court date.  I have not seen him in over a month, Cairo has not seen him since April 5, 2011.  I am very grateful that he's at least still in Illinois but the fact that he is 6 hrs away makes it financially impossible for me to visit him any time soon, not to mention that I don't have any vacation time from work to take.  Visitations are on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays for only a few hours in the day and afternoons.

Dark Chapter

On April 5, 2011, just several weeks after moving in to our new home, Jose (my partner and sons father) was stopped by local police for a traffic violation and his bad decisions from years ago were back to haunt him, he had a warrant for his arrest.  When he was taken to bond court the following day we came to find he had an ICE hold, it was like receiving a blow to my stomach.  Not only was the man I love going to be held in prison for an unknown time he was at risk of being deported.


That day I had no choice but to tell my 5 year old son, and Joses number one fan, that his daddy was not coming home.  I felt like I had ripped my sons heart right out of him.  The tears he shed were like bullets tearing through my soul.  All I could do to comfort him was to tell him that I loved him very much and his daddy loved him very much and that I was going to do everything in my power to help his daddy come home.  I do not desire that experience onto anyone.  It has been months now since he has been away from us.   I can only wonder how the adult Cairo was to become is now forever changed as a result of this?

I started this blog to catalog our story.