ICE arrested an immigrant when his wife died a few days after giving birth; they did not let him go to the wake.
In just five days, Henry Vélez lost his freedom and his wife, who died after giving birth to their third child. ICE did not allow him to attend the burial.
The situation that Henry Vélez, a Colombian immigrant in the United States, is experiencing is Grim. The man was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents just four days after the birth of his third child. Even worse: his wife died.
On June 13, Vélez and Rosa Andrea Ochoa welcomed their baby, but on the 17th, he was arrested by officers who arrived at their Brooklyn home. Five days later, Rosa passed away at home.
In a Telemundo News report, Yesenia Osorio, the grandmother of the three children and Henry's mother-in-law, said that her daughter "went to bed and had a stroke," meaning a cerebral hemorrhage or cerebrovascular accident (CVA). "She couldn't stand the pressure, she died," he said.
The Colombian immigrant remains detained at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark and was not even allowed to attend his wife's wake. "We asked the court to at least let him go to the burial. She's his wife, so she can see his son," said Alex Arandia, the lawyer in the case. He explained that Henry Vélez was detained for not having regular documentation to reside in the United States, however, he has been in the country for more than 20 years. The immigrant had traveled to Colombia up to 10 times in recent years. He also clarified that the man committed a crime in 2015, but that he was not included in the deportation case. "He was arrested for possession of controlled substances, but was released a year later," the representative detailed. Vélez had also traveled to Colombia up to 10 times in recent years and has not had any problems entering or leaving the country. The man was trying to resolve his immigration status after a case of domestic violence in which he was a victim, the report indicates. So far, Yesenia Osorio is in charge of the three minors: the newborn, a 6-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old teenager.However, she says it has been very difficult to assume the responsibility. The grandmother said that her eldest grandson told her: "Mom Yesenia, be careful, because I don't have a mom anymore, something happens to you and I have no one to take care of me."