Rollercoaster of Life

So the sentencing hearing went as expected yesterday, actually better than I was anticipating.  Alberto was sentenced to 1 year plus 1 day just as the probation officer had told me.  Something I didn’t expect was the Probation officer didn’t alter her report to include the correct dates that I had given her last Wednesday, so when Brian let me read the report before the hearing I corrected multiple inaccuracies.  Then Brian stated all of the changes I had made to the report, telling the Judge that ‘his client has never been 110% with dates’.  It was at this point when the prosecutor looked over at me and smirked.  We all know our strengths and weaknesses and dates just happen to be one of Alberto’s weaknesses.  Alberto was ‘released’ at the conclusion of the hearing but of course he didn’t go anywhere because of the immigration hold.

Lance called me on his way back from ICE and told me that immigration has Alberto marked as having been paroled into the United States.  He doesn’t know why they would have done that, but he is certain that Alberto will need another hearing which could be this week, but will be most likely next week.  I had a pounding headache at the time so I don’t remember much of what he said and I asked him to email me the details he discovered.  His plan was to follow up with the person in charge of Alberto’s case at ICE today to get an idea of a timeline for preparation.

Alberto was released into the custody of ICE at 11 am Tuesday morning, and I only knew that because I had been checking the jail rosters every hour.  I immediately emailed Lance and informed him.  He emailed me back right away and said he will follow up with me in a little while.  After Alberto called me from the ICE detention center and let me know that he requested an audience with a judge, I emailed Lance again to let him know.  Lance emailed back that this was fine and he will find out the date.  He requested that I give him a bit of time.  I guess he seems to think I’m one of those people that are prone to panicking and…  Oh wait, I AM one of those people.  It has been a while since I’ve had a full-blown panic attack, but he was a direct target because it was immigration related.  It happened back in April when the Consulate in CDJ called me and I could not call back because of an issue they were having with their phones.  One of the accompanying diagnoses to my major depression is general anxiety disorder, so it stands to reason that I would be prone to panic-attacks once my threshold has been surpassed.  Even so, it takes a lot before I have a full blown panic-attack.  I’ve located Alberto again using ice.gov and his A number; they moved him to a county jail that’s actually closer to me than his previous location was.  The downside is their visiting policy is horrendous.  The last email I received from Lance stated that he was going to submit a bond hearing request and his appearance in the morning which should get him before a judge pretty quickly.  Reading the word ‘bond’ gave me a minute of panic; I have no money or assets to use for an immigration bond at this time.  Lance then said that Alberto isn’t actually eligible for a bond at this time, but he is going to do this to get the issue before the court faster.

I got an email from my supervisor who is out for the holiday this week and I swear I don’t know how I ever got so lucky when I was hired here.  She wrote, “I am so glad to hear you received good news yesterday.  You deserve something to celebrate and be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I appreciate your updates and hope the best outcome happens.  I can’t imagine the ups and downs of this situation.  Be sure you take a minute and breathe.  Take care.”  I showed my email to Lizzy who then said that good things come to those who wait, and Lord know we have been waiting a long time.  Right now she is drafting her own hardship letter and I wish her all the luck in the world.  I hoping it won’t be much longer now before I start getting more current letters from my friends and family – let me know if you want to write on our behalf!

We, the wives and children that get left behind, have to stand united in a world that doesn’t give a damn about us.  In world where people are illegal, children are anchor babies, and those huddled masses yearning to be free are not wanted.  This is not the America I can be proud of.

“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school.  The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.”

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Ciao