A Connecticut father who garnered support from across the state during his fight to stay in the country has boarded a plane to Guatemala to comply with the terms of his deportation order, his attorney confirmed Wednesday.
His attorney confirmed that 33-year-old New Fairfield dad Joel Colindres boarded his plane just before 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Colindres' fight against the deportation order has been ongoing for months, and his history with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement goes back for years.
“Why? I don’t understand why. We are devastated,” said his attorney, Erin O’Neil-Baker.
The father of two fled Guatemala in 2004 after becoming the target of religious persecution and death threats. His attorney said that when he came to the US, he immediately went to a police department in Texas seeking help.
For the last 14 years, she said he has been filing requests for ICE to hear his asylum case. No immigration judge has heard his claims and his second deportation stay was denied last night.
Now the concern is for his family.
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“I’m extremely worried for Mr. Colindres. I’m extremely sad for the children. I am very concerned about his wife. I don’t know how they move forward without him here,” O’Neil-Baker said.
Colindres, a carpenter married to a US citizen and a father to two young children, was given the deportation order late last month.
His attorney said he’s a homeowner, pays taxes, and does not have a criminal record. In August of last year, he was spared deportation just before hopping on a plane.
“It’s very hard for me to understand exactly why. We are a country of immigrants. We were founded on people coming to this country,” said Michael Thomas, with Connecticut Shoreline Indivisible, a resistance group that has advocated for Colindres’ stay.
“We ask the Holy Spirit to be with them today… giving them courage and let them know that they are surrounded by love and comfort from all of us,” said another member, Gini King.
Lawmakers who’ve supported the Colindres family are also speaking out.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement, that the deportation is “…recklessly destroying a family and sending Joel to a country where he faces immediate risk to his life. My heart is breaking, but I will not give up. This deportation is a betrayal of American values—an immoral decision that history will judge in the harshest of lights.”
Congresswoman, Elizabeth Esty said in part, “Our federal government’s resources should not be used to tear good people like Joel from their families.” She further stated, “Connecticut stands with you. We stand with you, we embrace you, and we will continue to help you in every way we can.”
The Colindres family chose not to comment today.
After multiple attempts to reach out to ICE Wednesday, NBC Connecticut has yet to hear back. An ICE spokesperson released the following statement on Colindres’ case earlier this month:
“Joel Colinders-Guerra, an illegally present citizen of Guatemala, was issued a final order of removal by a federal immigration judge in 2004. Since then he has sought relief from removal via several court actions and has been denied each. He remains subject to a final order of removal. For operational security reasons, the agency does not discuss specific removal arrangements prior to an individual’s successful repatriation,” ICE officials said in a statement.
