A Father's Dangerous Journey Back to America

A Family Torn Apart

Today, my client Rafael Valdez will be walking to the American border and declaring asylum, which means his life is being threatened in Mexico. For security purposes, I won't be telling you when or at which border, until he makes it across.

Some people have thought the only cases I do are against the City of Baldwin Park because that's what I primarily write about. Nonetheless, I do have other cases that are just as important.

In September of 2013, the United States government deported the father of a family because he was undocumented in Washington State. He was brought to the detention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over a traffic stop. The Washington Sheriff asked him, "Are you an illegal?" And when he answered, "Yes," the next thing he knew, he was in federal jail - separated from his American wife and two American children.

You can read all about that story here: White American Mother Suffers Because Of American Deportations Against Latinos

You can also watch on YouTube how it affected the family: A Disrupted American Dream

Because of a complex family situation, the American children ended up residing in the State of Zacatecas with the father, while the mother worked in the States as the bread winner. During that time, Valdez's brother was kidnapped for ransom.

Also, a gang member kicked down the neighbor's door in their village and shot the victim in the chest. Nobody in town talks about it.

And there's more. Several years ago, Rafael's elderly relative was shot in the head and the throat in a field. The Mexican police decided not to investigate.

It certainly wasn't a safe situation for the American children, the father, or the mother (which is why she doesn't live there). I flew down to Zacatecas in August of 2015 to gather evidence.

My read on the situation is that the Mexican drug cartels control Zacatecas, and the government turns a blind eye to any crimes related to the cartel. (I wondered, as I saw the people looking at me, if they were thinking about kidnapping me too for ransom.)

Now that the evidence has been gathered and processed, I submitted it to the appropriate authorities. Today, the client crosses the border with his children. Please pray for their safety and well being.

To be continued . . .