Houston, Texas – Oscar Gato Sanchez had donned his attire for the immigration court appearance. The 25-year-old wore a red button-down dress, black slacks, and dress shoes with the aim of making a positive impression. His dark hair was cut short.
Gato Sanchez, a Cuban immigrant, was presenting himself to a judge in the US immigration case on a Monday afternoon.
He had no cause to doubt that the court would decide his case at some point while he was seated inside the Texas courtroom.
Gato Sanchez sought asylum because he believed his life would be in danger if he came back to Cuba. Gato Sanchez feared repercussions from his participation in recent anti-government demonstrations on the island because of the allegations made by human rights organizations there.
His aunt sat in the room outside the judge’s hearing room for the fear of retaliation while he waited for him to appear in court. She was concerned. The clock appeared to be ticking more slowly than usual.
What’s putting off so long, exactly? His aunt, a native of Houston, emailed a friend to ask her out.
However, there were more women waiting outside the courtroom than just two. Four men sat next to their phones while wearing typical street clothing and staring intently at the elevators.
Gato Sanchez emerged from the courtroom at around 3:15 p.m. with a folder of documents in his hands. The four men immediately surrounded him. They appeared to have known the outcome of Gato Sanchez’s case from the beginning.
As soon as Gato Sanchez’ case was dropped, federal agents arrived in the courthouse and seized him.
His terrified aunt. She made an effort to obtain details. However, the men only informed her that her nephew would be transported to Conroe, Texas, the site of Houston’s largest detention facility.
The men refused to even disclose to her whether they were from ICE or another federal law enforcement agency.
Why did they do this, God? His aunt cried out indignantly. His aunt’s friend yelled out to him as the agents removed Gato Sanchez.
She cried out, “You’re not a bad person.”
One of the many people who have recently left their immigration hearings is Gato Sanchez, one of the others. Advocates worry that the courthouse arrests will deter foreigners from seeking legal refuge in the US.
The executive director of Houston’s nonprofit for immigrant rights, Cesar Espinosa, referred to these individuals as “people who are doing the right thing.”
Source: Aljazeera
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