SEATTLE (AP) — Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez worked as a farm laborer for 16 years in southeastern Washington, where he and his wife of 40 years raised four children and 10 grandchildren. The 62-year-old was part of a close-knit community and had never committed a crime.
On February 5, immigration officers who came to his home looking for another person detained him. he was The bond is denied, Despite letters of support from friends, family, employers and doctors saying his family needed him.
He was sent to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Located in Tacoma, WashingtonHis health rapidly deteriorated, in part because prescription drugs for several medical conditions, including high blood pressure, were not always provided. Additionally, there was the emotional burden of not being able to take care of her family and sick granddaughter. Overwhelmed by everything, he finally gave up.
In a meeting with an immigration judge, he asked to leave the country without leaving an official deportation mark on his record. The judge granted his request and he returned to Mexico alone.
His case is a prime example of the impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to deport millions of immigrants on an accelerated schedule, ignoring years of process and legal process in favor of expedient outcomes.
A similar drama is playing out in immigration courts across the country, accelerating since early July, when ICE began opposing bail for people detained regardless of their circumstances.
“He was the head of the family, the one who was in charge of everything,” said Rodriguez’s wife, Gloria Guizar, 58. “It was very difficult to be away from his family. His children are grown, he has grandchildren, and everyone misses him.”
Before he was detained in prison, he could not imagine leaving the country. The deportation process hurt him.
“You can leave the country on your own, or we will deport you.”
It is impossible to know how many people have voluntarily left the United States since President Donald Trump took office in January. That’s because many people leave the United States without telling authorities. But Mr. Trump and his allies are pinning their hopes on “voluntary deportation,” the idea that people can voluntarily leave the country when life becomes unbearable.
According to the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, judges granted 15,241 “voluntary departures” in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, allowing people to leave the country without formal deportation markings or re-entry prohibitions on their records. In contrast, the number of voluntary resignations in the previous fiscal year was 8,663.
ICE announced that it conducted 319,980 deportations from October 1, 2024 to September 20, 2024. Customs and Border Protection declined to disclose that number and referred questions to the agency. Department of Homeland Security.
Secretary Kristi Noem said in August: 1.6 million people People who have left the country voluntarily or involuntarily since Trump took office. The ministry cited research by the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for immigration restrictions.
Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokeswoman for the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, said the 1.6 million figure was an exaggeration based on Census Bureau data.
The administration is offering $1,000 to those who voluntarily leave their jobs using the CBP Home app. For those who don’t, there is an immediate threat of being sent to a concentration camp. third like a country eSwatini, Rwanda, south sudan or Uganda,.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the voluntary departures show the administration’s strategy is working and keeping the country safe.
“Strengthening immigration enforcement targeting the worst of the worst is removing more and more criminal illegal aliens from our streets every day, sending a clear message to other illegal aliens in this country: Deport yourself or be arrested and deported,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“They treat her like a criminal.”
The Colombian woman appeared in Seattle immigration court in June and had her asylum claim withdrawn even though she was not in custody.
“Your lawyer says you no longer intend to proceed with your asylum claim,” the judge said. “Has anyone ever offered you money to do this?” he asked. “No, sir,” she answered. Her wish was granted.
His girlfriend, Arlene Adrono, who has been a U.S. citizen for two years, said she also plans to leave the country.
“They’re treating her like a criminal. She’s not a criminal,” Adrono said. “I don’t want to live in a country that does this to people.”
In August, a Venezuelan man told Judge Teresa Scala in immigration court inside the Tacoma Detention Center, where posters encourage immigrants to leave voluntarily or be deported, that he wanted to leave. The judge granted him a voluntary dismissal.
The judge asked the other man if he wanted more time to find a lawyer and if he was afraid of returning to Mexico. The man answered, “I want to leave the country.”
“The court found that you waived all forms of relief,” Scala said. “You must comply with the government’s efforts to remove you.”
“His absence was deeply felt.”
Ramon Rodriguez crossed the U.S. border in 2009. His eight siblings, who are U.S. citizens, lived in California but settled in Washington state. Grandview, with a population of 11,000, is an agricultural town that grows apples, cherries, wine grapes, asparagus, and other fruits and vegetables.
Mr. Rodriguez began working for AG Management in 2014. His tax records show he earned $13,406 in his first year, and by 2024 he had earned $46,599 and paid $4,447 in taxes.
“During his time with our company, he demonstrated dedication, reliability, and a strong work ethic and was an integral part of our team,” his bosses said in a letter asking a judge to release him from custody. “His harvesting, planting, irrigation and equipment operation skills have contributed greatly to our operations and his absence will be greatly missed.”
His granddaughter has heart disease and has had two surgeries and will need a third. Her mother doesn’t drive, so Rodriguez transported the girl to Spokane for care. The child’s pediatrician wrote a letter to the immigration judge urging her release, saying without his help the girl might not receive the medical care she needs.
A judge denied his bail request in March. Rodriguez is the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit that seeks to allow detained immigrants to request and receive bail.
September 30th, A federal judge ruled against bond. Immigration hearings are illegal. However, Rodriguez will not benefit from this ruling. He’s gone now and unlikely to come back.
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Associated Press writer Cedar Attanasio contributed to this article.
