LIVE STREAMING

Raid Keep Them in Limbo

MÁS EN ESTA SECCIÓN

Fighting Sargassum

Community Colleges

COMPARTA ESTE CONTENIDO:

Jazmín Zavala Trejo takes note of her priorities on a “mental notebook” that each day is filled with things she has to do.  She rechecks what she has to do –all that pending—all the time, in her race against the time set for her deportation to her native country of Mexico.

Her worries are focused on her two children, Jhon Luis and Johanthan, ages 4 and 5 months, respectively, who were born in the US.

“I think of my children first, every day, and lastly about what I am going to do”, she said.

One of her sons, Jonathan, is suffering from eczema, an inflammatory skin disease that produces swelling and irritation.

“My son needs treatment and I hope the judge takes this into account”, she said.  “I have a lot of plans and want to get ahead in life and that is why I ask myself why this happened to me and at times feel depressed.”

On top of this she faces the problem about telling her children about what she is going through.

“My eldest son doesn’t know what’s going on, though I have explained it to him, she stated.  “When I ask, he says that he doesn’t want to leave, that he wants to stay and go to school to learn English, and then teach his mother”.

Zavala, along with 16 other women and two men –all undocumented workers—live in limbo while they wait for federal authorities to set the date of the hearing before an immigration judge and learn if they will stay in the US or return to their native countries.

“I received a letter from Immigration but it does not state the court date or place, Zavala stated.
All of them were detained in a raid carried out by the ICE at a maintenance company in King of Prussia, on July 30 of this year.

Unlike that which has occurred in many other cases, these 19 detainees are not being held in a detention center but rather carry an electronic bracelet on their ankle: A device that has produced rejection, has cost them their home and wrapped them in uncertainty.

“I know that my life here is about working, that is what I learned to do here”, Zavala stated.  “I cannot imagine my life in Mexico, with my children or on my own.  I believe it would be very difficult because wages are miserable there.”

Though she has thought about removing the device on her ankle, the thought of immigration authorities coming to look for her at her home and becoming a fugitive of the law has stopped her from doing so.  She has smilingly decided to “live with” the shackle.

“I put a small sticker of the soap-opera “La fea más bella” so that it doesn’t look so ugly”, she said while washing her slacks and showing the shackle, which is an electronic monitoring device that shows authorities where the individual is at all times.

“They informed me that I could not leave the state, and cannot be outside my home after 11:00pm, or before 5:00am”, she said.  “They have stripped me of my freedom, pleasures and the opportunity to find work.”

Zavala says she has looked for work in other places but “when they learn that I have this on my ankle they turn me away because they think I am a criminal”, she stated.  “It is unfair for them to treat me this way, to do this to all of those who only want to work while they let the drug-dealers on the corners run free.”

“Working seems to be considered as a crime for them”, said Zavala.

The only way that she has been to support herself has been thanks to the support provided by her mother and step-father, but she stated that the income --$167 a week—that she stopped earning from her part-time job is more necessary now.

“I really need that money.  The children’s father helps me out with $100 a week, but this is different”, she said.

She affirmed that ABM still owes her and other co-workers of hers their last pay check for the work performed.  The labor union indicated that it is pressing for this payment to be made.

This device is operated by G4S, an ICE contractor, to monitor those awaiting an immigration court date.

Zavala said that she faces the rejection of the community.  “It feels bad to have others looking at and whispering about you”, she said.  “That’s when the Mexican in me comes out and I give it to them because these things really tick me off”.

The workers presented themselves at the G24 offices in Philly on the 26th of this month and the majority, including the union, did not know what to expect.

“I’m nervous because I don’t know if they are going to arrest me, if I’m going to an inspection or to court.  I’m not prepared, but we’ll see what happens,” said Zavala.

A few minutes before 11:00am, the group of immigrants met outside the building in downtown Philadelphia to be on time for their meeting with the company representatives.

The group, mostly made up of women, waited in the small room in which there were not enough chairs and many sat on the floor while they joked and talked about their private lives with the shackle.

Three of them also complained that their device didn’t work and needed to have it changed because they didn’t want them to think that they had up and run.

Minutes later, a G4S representative asked them to come in to provide them with information and take their picture.

When all were seated, the man indicated that this was a routine inspection and asked if there was any one who wanted to leave voluntarily: At least four people raised their hand.

He then asked if anyone had had a problem with the shackle so that they could change it and told them that the next meeting would be on September 29.

00:00 / 00:00
Ads destiny link