A Texas family is facing a heartbreaking crisis after federal immigration agents apprehended Pablo Jose Morales Petzey, a 32-year-old father from Guatemala, due to a routine traffic stop. On June 6, Morales and his wife were pulled over by local police on Highway 6 while traveling to a landscaping job.
During the stop, the officer cited a missing license plate, which the family claims had fallen off their vehicle without their knowledge. Following the discovery of Morales’s immigration status, local police contacted federal authorities, leading to his arrest.
Laura Rodriguez, Morales’s wife, recounted the harrowing moments of his detention to Newsweek. “They took him with handcuffs and a chain around his stomach,” she said, describing the officers calling in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She revealed that Morales was allowed a brief moment to bid farewell to his two young children.
“He kissed them before they took him away,” Rodriguez added, highlighting the emotional toll on their family. The couple has two children: 4-year-old Victoria and 3-year-old Angel, who has autism and has difficulties communicating.
The aftermath of this encounter has left the family reeling. Rodriguez explained how their children are struggling with the sudden absence of their father. Her son Angel, who only speaks the words ‘papa’ and ‘mama’, frequently looks out the window, waiting for his father to return. Meanwhile, her daughter Victoria suffers from distress, crying and questioning the situation, asking, “Why are they taking my dad? Why is he all chained up?”
Rodriguez expressed her heartache, stating, “I told her everything will be OK with a knot in my throat with nothing else to say.” As of now, Morales is being held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Texas, with his immigration case pending.
According to Rodriguez, her husband has no criminal record. The current immigration landscape is complicated, with courts overwhelmed by a backlog of more than 3.7 million cases. Asylum seekers often find themselves waiting for years to receive decisions on their cases.
This incident occurred amid a broader crackdown on immigration policies under President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has significantly increased ICE arrests across the country, labeling anyone unlawfully present in the United States as a criminal. There have been instances where immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and student visas, have also faced the threat of deportation.
Reports indicate that ICE has received directives concerning its enforcement activities, particularly regarding farms, restaurants, and hotels, in light of potential economic impacts. A representative for the Department of Homeland Security described Petzey as “an illegal alien from Guatemala” and stated that he remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
In a statement to Newsweek, the DHS spokesperson mentioned, “Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App.” The government is reportedly offering illegal immigrants $1,000 and free flights for voluntary departure, encouraging them to self-deport and apply to return legally. They warned that failure to take this offer would lead to arrest and deportation without a chance to re-enter the country.
The family’s plight represents not only a personal tragedy but also highlights the complexities of the immigration system today, with many families facing similar uncertainties throughout the nation.
image source from：https://www.newsweek.com/texas-man-us-citzen-children-detained-ice-2086161
