A family in Manassas, Virginia, has made the difficult decision to leave the United States after the mother, Claudia Alvarenga España, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Claudia, mother of four, was apprehended after attending a scheduled ICE check-in, a decision that has left her family devastated.
According to her husband, Jhoan Mesen, Claudia was taken by immigration authorities to Guatemala but was subsequently returned to the United States for an immigration hearing.
Mesen revealed in an interview with Telemundo44 that the family can no longer endure the stress of the situation.
“We’ve made the decision that basically we all have to return to our country,” he said in Spanish, indicating their intent to relocate after living in the U.S. for 15 years.
The family had previously enjoyed a stable life; Claudia worked at the Georgetown South Community Center, helping to support the household.
However, after she failed to show up for work, her employer, Meg Carroll, was informed by Mesen that Claudia had been detained.
“She wanted me to call you and tell you that she wouldn’t be at work today but that she’d be back as soon as she could,” Carroll recounted.
The family’s hardships escalated when it was revealed that Claudia had been held in an ICE detention center for two weeks.
Mesen added that a U.S. judge had ruled that Claudia could not be deported unless there was a formal court order in place.
In light of these developments, Mesen has begun clearing out their belongings in preparation for selling their home and starting anew.
“I’ve already cleared out most of my belongings to prepare to sell the house and start over,” he confirmed.
Claudia has expressed her deep desire to remain with her family, rejecting the idea of being separated from them for any extended period.
“She does not want to be separated from her family for seven months, not three months, not even a week if she doesn’t have to be. So she is asking, she is pleading, for deportation,” Mesen stated.
Although Claudia had applied for asylum, citing dangers in Guatemala, the potential for a lengthy separation from her family has made this path increasingly painful.
The family plans to initially return to Guatemala before eventually moving to Costa Rica, which is her husband’s native country.
Mesen’s comments highlight the emotional toll this situation has taken on their family, who just weeks ago were focused on raising their children and meeting household obligations.
In March, Claudia submitted her asylum application, fearing for her safety in her home country.
However, she received news that her deportation order had been reinstated and was placed under an order of supervision, allowing her to apply for a work permit in the U.S.
Her attorney, Lisa Shea, discussed the complexities of the case, emphasizing the difficulty their family now faces.
In response to inquiries from Telemundo 44, ICE confirmed that they would process the asylum application, but the outcome remains uncertain as the family’s future hangs in the balance.
image source from：nbcwashington
