THE LEVIN LETTER: This Deportation Exposes Flaws in Immigration System
For the past 35 years, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez lived in our community and made it their home. Laguna Niguel residents, they raised three daughters and recently welcomed their first grandchild.
Nelson worked as a phlebotomist, and Gladys was a stay-at-home mom. They went to church, paid their taxes, and never had a criminal record, not even a traffic ticket.
But on Feb. 21, they were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine check-in appointment. Handcuffed and shackled by their ankles and waists, they were separated and placed in different detention facilities in Arizona and Louisiana, and they were deported to Colombia on March 18.
This begs the question: Why were Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez deported?
Thirty-five years before their deportation, Gladys and Nelson arrived in the United States from Colombia seeking asylum from violence. Like the millions of immigrants before them, Gladys and Nelson came to our country in hopes of a better life for them and their children. They believed in America’s promise—if you work hard and play by the rules, then you will be successful.
That was before they ran into our complicated and broken immigration system.
When applying for asylum, Gladys and Nelson received bad and fraudulent legal advice from a now-disbarred immigration attorney. That was their one mistake, trusting someone more interested in their money than in helping them achieve citizenship. It took them off the pathway to becoming U.S. citizens, but they were allowed to stay in the U.S. through an ICE protective order.
For the past 35 years, they tried to navigate our circuitous immigration system. They tried every avenue to become citizens. Every year – and sometimes several times a year – they checked in with ICE. They were working with law enforcement, so they were allowed to stay here. That was until February 21.
Gladys and Nelson’s deportation ripped apart a hardworking family with no criminal record and shocked their community.
Why was a family with no criminal history, no gang affiliation, three children, and a new grandchild, a priority for deportation?
That is not the America I know. That is not how America should be.
President Trump ran on prioritizing violent criminals for deportation. I agree completely that drug dealers and gang members must be deported. But that’s not what we are witnessing in this case.
The Gonzalez couple’s deportation was a waste of limited resources that should be used to remove dangerous individuals—not break up families and target hardworking people. I’m a strong proponent of border security, but we need smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes actual violent criminals, not senseless deportations.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In Congress, I support legislation called the Dignity Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would help to fix our broken system while strengthening our border. The Dignity Act would offer undocumented immigrants like Gladys and Nelson a pathway to legal status if they pay taxes, a fine, complete extensive background checks, have no criminal records, and maintain other requirements.
The bill recognizes that people who have spent decades contributing to our country deserve a fair shot at becoming part of it permanently.
If the Dignity Act had been law, Gladys and Nelson could have earned their legal status. Their family wouldn’t have been torn apart.
Instead, we have an administration that is targeting nonviolent immigrants for deportation, no matter the positive impact they have on our economy and community.
Gladys and Nelson’s story is heartbreaking. But it can also be a call to action. I’ll keep fighting to share the story of the Gonzalez family’s deportation in hopes that it inspires my colleagues to come back to the negotiating table. We have an obligation to pass common-sense immigration reform so we can prevent more stories like this from happening again
U.S.Representative Mike Levin represents the 49th Congressional District, which includes the South Orange County cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. He was reelected in 2024 to serve his fourth term. He resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife and two children.
By: Rep. Mike Levin
Source: Picket Fence Media