Ohio Husband of U.S. Citizen and Caretaker of Son with Cerebral Palsy Remains in Limbo as Family Waits for Executive Action
As the President prepares to take executive action on immigration in coming weeks, one Ohio family is hoping for news from the White House. And soon.
After being granted a stay one year ago, Pedro Hernandez-Ramirez–husband of a U.S. citizen, loving father of four, and primary caretaker of his oldest son, Juan, who has cerebral palsy–is asking for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to renew last year’s decision and allow him to stay with this family who desperately needs him.
With all the equities in Pedro’s case remaining the same, renewing Pedro’s stay request should be a no-brainer for ICE, based on their own prosecutorial discretion policy. However, Rebecca Adducci, the ICE Detroit Field Office Director presiding over Pedro’s case, has an ugly history of failing to follow her own agency’s directives.
According to David Leopold, Pedro’s attorney:
Pedro’s only offense is wanting to be a father to his American family, yet ICE considers him to be a deportation priority. Not only does Pedro meet multiple criteria that would qualify him for relief under ICE’s current prosecutorial discretion policy, he’s also a text book case for a the type of person likely to be granted relief under the President’s forthcoming executive action. Renewing his stay is simply common sense.
Leopold filed a request to continue Pedro’s stay of deportation on August 5th but has not heard back on the status of that request.
In addition to qualifying for ICE’s existing policy of prosecutorial discretion, Pedro meets multiple criteria that would likely qualify for the type of deportation relief under consideration by the White House, including his duration in the United States and his deep family ties.
