To: Mr. Brian Acuna, Assistant Field Office Director, ICE, Governor Asa Hutchinson, Rep. Steve Womack (AR-3), Sen. John Boozman (AR-1), and Sen. Tom Cotton (AR-2)
Don't Deport these Arkansas Parents: Keep Silvia & Arturo Reyes with their Family!
Mr. & Mrs. Silvia Reyes are proud Arkansans, parents of five American-born children and DACA-mented son, active community volunteers and well-respected, local business owners of Acambaro's Restaurant in Rogers. They recently received letters from ICE calling on their deportation on November 5th. Please support Arkansas family values, and keep the Reyes' together by using prosecutorial discretion and asking ICE to stay their deportations for one year. These precious additional months would allow them to make time-sensitive arrangements for an ill parent, begin residency petitions (through their daughter who turns 21 in a few weeks) and allow them to continue to give back to the state and country they so proudly call home. All of the Reyes' children need them, especially their two youngest children who are under the age of 10. Arturo and Silvia are NOT a security risk to Arkansas, and instead are an integral and positive influence on their family and community.
Why is this important?
On the morning of Dec.10, 2007, armies of ICE and SWAT-like-agents raided seven restaurants of the Reyes family. They ransacked through every corner handcuffing workers as they passed. Simultaneously, agents entered the family’s house, where 3-year-old Josselyne watched how the agents handcuffed her grandparents and mother, Silvia, who was pregnant at that time. Arturo had just dropped off his son Jairo and three daughters at school, on his way back several cop cars pulled him over and arrested him. Silvia spent two weeks in jail, worried about what was happening to her family. Arturo spent 6 months detained, deprived of the love of his family; experiencing how his life was being swallowed away.
ICE had investigated the Reyes family since 2006, for over a year they meticulously planned how to destroy this family’s legacy. The Reyes were absurdly accused of drug trafficking and money laundering. When in fact, the Acambaro restaurant chain had solely been a result of a driven and hard-working family. No evidence of drugs or money laundering was found in any of the restaurants, the charges were dropped in court; however, Arturo and Silvia were put in removal proceedings.
It’s been over 7 years since the nightmare began. Today, Silvia and Arturo have been told by ICE to surrender on November 5, 2014.
For 20 years, the Reyes have contributed tremendously to the entire community and economy of Rogers, Arkansas. They currently run three restaurants that employs many members of the community. They consistently make generous monetary and food donations to various churches of different denominations. They also cater school, sports, law enforcement and immigrant events.
The Reyes are American in every way but without the paperwork, they are part of the 11 million who deserve a direct path to citizenship. They raised a beautiful family of six, a DACA-mented DREAMer and organizer,five U.S. citizens, one boy and four girls of between the ages of 4 and 19 years. They all deserve to stay together.
Please watch this video about what the possible deportation means to the Reyes family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXgpVdGVWI
Previous media about the Reyes family: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/4696916/rogers_family_fighting_deportation_to_stay_together
ICE had investigated the Reyes family since 2006, for over a year they meticulously planned how to destroy this family’s legacy. The Reyes were absurdly accused of drug trafficking and money laundering. When in fact, the Acambaro restaurant chain had solely been a result of a driven and hard-working family. No evidence of drugs or money laundering was found in any of the restaurants, the charges were dropped in court; however, Arturo and Silvia were put in removal proceedings.
It’s been over 7 years since the nightmare began. Today, Silvia and Arturo have been told by ICE to surrender on November 5, 2014.
For 20 years, the Reyes have contributed tremendously to the entire community and economy of Rogers, Arkansas. They currently run three restaurants that employs many members of the community. They consistently make generous monetary and food donations to various churches of different denominations. They also cater school, sports, law enforcement and immigrant events.
The Reyes are American in every way but without the paperwork, they are part of the 11 million who deserve a direct path to citizenship. They raised a beautiful family of six, a DACA-mented DREAMer and organizer,five U.S. citizens, one boy and four girls of between the ages of 4 and 19 years. They all deserve to stay together.
Please watch this video about what the possible deportation means to the Reyes family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXgpVdGVWI
Previous media about the Reyes family: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/4696916/rogers_family_fighting_deportation_to_stay_together