This child is the face of the immigration war
On Monday, January 14 2013, Edi Arma got up, had a cup of coffee, got ready for work, and headed to the car to take his three children to school. But when he arrived at his front door he found seven ICE officers waiting. In front of his children, they handcuffed and removed him from his house with no explanation to his crying children other than "We have to take your father."
This isn't the first time that ICE has been in the Arma's life: In 2009 a neighbor reported him for "looking suspicious". At the time he was questioned extensively about his immigration status, and answered honestly that he was undocumented in the USA. Since then he has been fighting to avoid deportation back to his native Guatemala, a country where he fears he and his family would be murdered - a thought not too far fetched when you consider that his brother who remained there met exactly that fate in 2009.
His youngest daughter, 6 years old, suffers from severe asthma and has recently been hospitalized. The remaining children, 8 and 11, just want to know when their father will be back. They are afraid he never will be.
Arma has never been in trouble with the law, is a loving and devoted father, and is a perfect candidate for discretion as outlined by John Morton, the Director of ICE. Obama has recently moved to make changes to immigration law so that people like Arma who are hard working, contributing members of the community can have a path to citisenship in what we consider to be "The Greatest Country in the World". Arma and his children want to be a part of that.
Please take a moment to sign a petition calling for Arma's release and return to his family, or call the Phoenix ICE at (602) 766-7030 and demand Edi Arma be released.
Standard call for those interested:
"Hi, I was calling to ask for the immediate release of Edi Arma, (A#089-815-011) from the Eloy immigration prison. Based on the memo from your own ICE director, John Morton, Edi is not a priority for deportation. Why was Edi's family home raided on Monday the 14th? Let Edi go!"