As the Trump administration pursues a program of mass deportations and immigration officials have set a goal of 3,000 arrests per day nationwide, hundreds of residents of metro Atlanta who lack legal status have experienced a familiar narrative.
According to his wife, Amanda Guzman, Guzman Garcia has spent the last six years working toward citizenship. According to her, the couple went to Stockbridge to help out Guzman Garcia’s carpenter business after meeting in 2018 and getting married on their first anniversary.
Based on Guzman Garcia’s marriage to a U.S. citizen, the pair petitioned for citizenship shortly after the wedding.
He has been making an effort to act morally. According to Amanda Guzman, he has no criminal background. He must return home.
A request for comment regarding Guzman Garcia’s arrest was not answered by ICE representatives. According to Jorge Gavilanes, a partner at the business assisting the family, he has been detained at the Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia and has been refused bond at ICE’s request.
According to Gavilanes, the timing of the arrest couldn’t have been worse. According to the attorney, Guzman Garcia had been awaiting a final interview at the U.S. Consulate in Mexico, which would have made him eligible for an immigrant visa.
Gavilanes stated that we were merely anticipating the interview. The rest had been turned in.
According to six-month pregnant Amanda Guzman, the arrest took place in Henry County.
Additionally, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office was obligated by Georgia law to inform the federal government that Guzman Garcia was in custody, which resulted in an immigration detainer, even though it does not formally collaborate with ICE through 287(g), a federal program that permits local law enforcement officers to carry out some of the functions of immigration agents.
More people may be held for longer periods of time during immigration proceedings as a result of policy changes that Gavilanes noted are intended to make immigrants in ICE custody ineligible for bond. According to Gavilanes, the tactic has caused courts all throughout the country to reject bond hearings in recent weeks.
The government is now saying that anyone without documentation is not eligible for release, which is absurd, the lawyer said, adding that we have been holding court hearings for all of these people.
Guzman Garcia’s bond, which has kept him in federal detention, was appealed by ICE. According to Gavilanes, it is difficult to forecast how long he will stay there. The removal process has begun.
Over $33,000 has been raised for legal fees through Amanda Guzman’s GoFundMe page since the arrest.
According to the report, our friend Eduardo arrived in the United States as a youngster in search of opportunities and safety. He has never been convicted of a crime; instead, he worked hard, established a business, became a loving parent, and wed Amanda, the joy of his life. But now, everything he has created is under jeopardy.
According to Amanda Guzman, the detention has caused additional stress to her already precarious pregnancy and has been particularly hard on their three children. She claimed that her toddler, who was in the car when the traffic stop occurred, calls for her father and has nightmares.
He works diligently. He looks after our family. According to Amanda Guzman, he is my rock. It’s just a very regrettable situation that I know many folks are dealing with. This is really not something they should be going through.
