Family facing deportation speaks out

Children separated from their families at the southern border continues to be a controversial and emotional issue in the United States.

However, identifying the process of what happens to migrant adults under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is another issue that gets lost in translation.

News 11’s Vanessa Dillon visited an immigration court in Florence, Ariz. on Tuesday. At the facility, thousands of migrants are detained and await their court date.

Each detainee comes in with a different story. A court employee said many migrated from Central America, others from India, and Mexico.

Many detainees said they’re seeking asylum, while others crossed the border illegally through the southern border.

One family spoke to News 11 and shared their frustration with the system.

Celia Valentone, a Tucson resident, said her husband has been waiting for his court date for a year.

“I think it’s a process, I do understand,” Valentone said. “But I don’t think it’s right that they want to take a long time. [If] they’re going to deport him, deport him now.”

Valentone said the root of her frustration came from a lack of communication between her family and court officials.

“I don’t live here in Florence,” Valentone said. “I live in Tucson. So it’s hard just to drive over here, waste gas money [and] then you can’t see your loved one.”

According to the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), a judge determines who stays and who is deported.

Any individual arrested by Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) goes directly to the Florence Detention Center.