Houston, Texas (KTRK) – When Jaime Avalos applied for DACA a decade ago, he carefully planned a life that would include hard work, marriage, and starting a family. Everything has come true, but now his world is crumbling around him.
“I graduated from Belair. I always worked. I didn’t miss any work, I didn’t get into trouble,” said the young father and husband, who now lives in Juarez, Mexico.
With tears streaming down their faces, Avalos and his wife, Yariana Martinez, try to be strong for each other and their baby Noah. It’s hard to do this via Zoom.
The young family separated two weeks ago when they traveled across the border so that Avalos could meet an immigration official. They didn’t know as DACA recipients, Avalos could do it all in the United States.
The young couple trusted a non-profit that helped them apply for DACA years ago. It will prove to be a fatal mistake.
“When you put your trust in someone, you just hope they do the right thing, and it didn’t happen that way,” Martinez said while holding 8-month-old Noah.
This week, the family appointed new lawyers, explaining to them that their situation could lead to a 10-year ban.
“Unfortunately, all of this could have been avoided had he consulted with an immigration attorney prior to this process,” said attorney Karina Jimenez. “Because he’s a DACA recipient, he could have entered legally.”
With Avalos in Mexico, Martinez worries that their whole life, so carefully constructed over the years, could unravel.
“We own a house. We have two cars. We have a child. It was difficult especially with having to pay the mortgage. It is difficult,” she said.
After hearing their case, ABC13 reached out to Congressman, US Representative Al Green, who agreed to meet with Martinez on Friday afternoon to see what he could do.
“This is a broken immigration system,” said Congressman Green, who previously traveled to South America to bring back another voter. “This isn’t just about getting him back into the country. This is about family reunion, family reunification, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure this family gets back together again.”
At the moment, Martinez lives with her mother, whose walls are decorated with pictures of her five children and grandchildren. Martinez has two brothers who are active duty Marines. She said they are having a hard time addressing the way they serve their country, and their son-in-law is stuck outside the United States.
“I hope he can come back. Just because we have a child, we have a family. And our family is not complete with him not here,” she said.
See also: DACA recipients urge Congress to act on immigration reform on program’s 10th anniversary
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