He Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE) arrested a Agustín Gentilean Argentine of 31 yearslegal resident in USAupon entering the Los Angeles International Airport After a trip abroad. Despite having a Green Cardthe authorities detected judicial historywhich activated a process that could culminate in its deportationdespite having lived in the country for 18 years.
The case revealed that Gentile lies in Raleight, North Carolinaand is the father of two children born on American soil, of six and eight years. The situation was already notified to Argentine Consulate in Atlanta last April 21, from where they provide family assistance while defining the future of the young man.
At this time, Gentile Wait one Judicial hearing that will evaluate its immigration situation, which is not expected before of the May 12. Meanwhile, his family is in Georgia And he considers that, if the expulsion is specified, the less traumatic alternative would be his return to Argentina, although the young man barely retains links with that country.
Argentine’s arrest in the United States
The incident that triggered the arrest dates back to February, when Gentile returned to the country and was intercepted by agents of the National Security Departmentwho held him the Argentine passport and the Green Card, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the most relevant medium of Georgia.
From the airport he was transferred to a dependency of Customs and border protection in Raleightand on April 14 he was officially detained. Two days later they referred to Stewart detention Centerlocated in the state of Georgia.
Despite having status Permanent legal residentGentile remained subject to deportationsince these types of documents do not guarantee immunity. From the Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) They recently stressed that residents can also be expelled from the country if they register a history.
“It is quite routine, nobody is safe,” the immigration lawyer warned in March David Leopoldduring an interview in which he explained that current policies allow even migrants with legal residence. This would be the First known case that involves an Argentine Under the immigration policy of the second term of Donald Trumpwhich maintains an aggressive approach to immigrants.
The Word of Agustín Gentile’s family
Agustín’s parents, Débora Rey and Martín Verdithey said they moved from North Carolina until Lumpkin, Georgiadriving for nine hours to see it. “This is crazy. My son tells me that, where he is now, he is the only person who has papers. All others are undocumented,” said Rey, visibly affected by the situation.
The origin of Gentile’s legal conflict dates back to 2020when he was convicted in California for a minor cause of Personal injuries. At that time, he received Five years of probationthen reduced to three, and the judicial file was closed in 2023, according to their parents.
The couple acknowledged that they had supported Trump convinced that It would harden migratory policies against those who will enter without authorization. “We feel betrayed,” they said.
Both They claimed to have voted for him in the last electionshoping that his actions would point to “the criminals who came illegally”, but never imagined that the offensive would also affect people like their son. “It was a massive hoax What they did, ”they said.
Since the arrest began, grandparents are responsible for caring for grandchildren, trying that children not perceive the seriousness of what is happening. “We told them that he went on a trip. They ask, ‘Where is my dad?’ And we can’t tell them ‘Dad is in jail, ”Verdi explained.
According to the family, the conditions in the Stewart detention center are extremely hard. Gentile described that There is overcrowding, people who sleep on the ground, light on all night and very limited access to hygiene products. “Sometimes he calls me and he doesn’t even know what day or what time is,” said his mother.
Both King and Verdi expressed their Repentance for having supported migration policies of the current US government. “We would not have voted for him if we had known this,” they said.
Today, they only expect the precise date of the judicial hearing to know if Agustín can keep his family In the country that considers your home. If not, they said with resignation: “Freedom, above all.”
Source: Ambito
