Mexican father asks for voluntary exit for his two children detained in Alligator Alcatraz
Mexican father asks for voluntary exit for his children detained in Florida, one with a valid visa and the other married to a US citizen
A Mexican father traveled to the United States this week to request that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allow the voluntary exit of his two children, detained since July 7 at the immigration center known as Alligator Alcatraz, in Florida.
Brothers Carlos Martin and Oscar Alejandro Gonzalez, ages 26 and 30, were arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol during an alleged traffic stop in Orlando. According to the Mexican Consulate in that city, Carlos Martin was detained for driving a vehicle with tinted windows.
Their brother Oscar Alejandro was arrested shortly after, when they arrived at the scene to assist him. Both were transferred to Alligator Prison at Alcatraz.
Father asks ICE for voluntary release of his children
The father of the young men, Martin Gonzalez, denounced that his children were detained unjustly and asked immigration authorities to allow them to voluntarily leave the country instead of facing deportation proceedings.
"We just want justice. One of my children had a valid tourist visa and a return ticket. The other is married to a US citizen," Gonzalez said.
Carlos Martin had legally entered the United States as a tourist and was still within his permitted period of stay. For his part, Oscar Alejandro, also with a tourist visa, is married to a US citizen, who could give him options to regularize his immigration status.
The Mexican consul in Orlando, Juan Sabines Guerrero, reported through social media that the brothers' immigration attorney had not been able to contact them as of last Monday. Sabines also announced that he will recommend that the Mexican Embassy in Washington issue a travel alert for Florida, in response to this and other recent cases of detentions of Mexican tourists.
"We are experiencing an unprecedented situation," Sabines warned. referring to the increase in immigration operations in the state, driven by cooperation between local, state, and federal authorities.
The case of the González brothers adds to a growing concern among migrant advocacy organizations over the treatment of foreign visitors in Florida, a state that has toughened its immigration policies in recent months.