Blumenthal Urges ICE to Stay Deportation of Joel Colindres
(Hartford, CT) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today released the following statement and letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Field Office Director James Rutherford requesting a stay in the deportation of New Fairfield father Joel Colindres. Mr. Colindres is scheduled to be deported to Guatemala tomorrow.
“I will not stop fighting to keep the Colindres family together. I have urged ICE to stay this cruel and callous deportation while Joel appeals the denial of his application. There is absolutely no reason to proceed with deportation tomorrow, recklessly destroying a family and sending Joel to a country where he faces immediate risk to his life. My heart is breaking, but I will not give up. This deportation is a betrayal of American values—an immoral decision that history will judge in the harshest of lights,” Blumenthal said.
Text of the letter is copied below.
January 30, 2018
Mr. James Rutherford
Acting Field Office Director
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Boston Field Office
1000 District Avenue
Burlington, MA 01803-5229
Dear Mr. Rutherford,
I appreciate Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) response to my earlier request for a Stay of Removal for Mr. Joel Colindres (A98 117 729), of New Fairfield, Connecticut in which ICE indicated that it would hold such removal pending a determination by United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Mr. Colindres’ I-212 application. While the I-212 application was denied on January 26, 2018, Mr. Colindres appealed that denial challenging the factual and legal basis of the denial. Therefore, I write to urge you to reconsider the denial of the I-246, Stay of Removal Application, he submitted on January 12, 2018.
There are many positive factors in this case. As I am sure you are aware, Mr. Colindres is the beneficiary of an approved I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative, which was approved in 2015. Furthermore, he is a father to two young U.S. citizen children, who are dependent on him for support, both financially and emotionally. His wife suffers from many medical issues, which have gotten significantly worse throughout this ordeal, and needs Mr. Colindres' assistance in caring for their children. Mr. Colindres has been with the same employer for 13 years and has paid taxes. Also, ICE has confirmed to my office that Mr. Colindres does not have a criminal history, and it does not appear he poses a threat to the integrity of the immigration system.
In addition Mr. Colindres is fearful of returning to his native Guatemala and has documented claims regarding the murder of several of his family members and other significant reasons which contribute to fear for his safety and that of his U.S. citizen family. I do not understand how needlessly separating a U.S. citizen family from their husband and father would be a benefit to our country or to Connecticut especially when there is good ground for his appeal of the I-212 decision.
I urge you to grant Mr. Colindres more time, and reconsider the denial of the Stay of Removal Application. If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Jennifer Piazza in my Connecticut office. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Richard Blumenthal
United States Senate