***If I disclose anything that I shouldn't be disclosing, please let me know and I'll revise or delete this post.***
Last Friday I was picked up from my apartment complex about 9:30 a.m. We drove to Charlotte, home of the closest Immigration Court for the state of NC. After stopping for a bite to eat, we arrived at the building around 12:15 p.m., just before the family from my church. The other pastor prayed before all of us except the Sra. went inside. According to the government, the Sra. has no status in this country; a really sad sentence. What does it mean to have no status, not even a low status? We waited in the hallway before the court opened at 1 p.m. The kids, all U.S. citizens, showed me their soccer pictures and assorted school certificates that they had brought. At 1 p.m., we went through the metal detector to the waiting room, along with two other families. The other families went into the courtroom before us, because their cases were shorter and simpler. One lady left the courtroom crying. I pulled out a little notebook I had brought in case I needed to take notes (what was I thinking?!) and played tic-tac-toe with one kid before turning over the notebook and pen to the kids to play games. The first phrase for the first hangman game was one work: 'hope.'
Then, we all trotted in to the courtroom and the judge was surprised by how many of us there were (4 adults, 5 kids, and 1 lawyer). After recognizing the kids, they were sent out to the waiting room with one adult. I got to sit and witness the whole thing. After hearing the respondent's testimony, the judge was leaning toward him staying because if he was deported, he would take the whole family with him and 1) one child has a serious heart condition needing regular follow-up; 2) another kid is a junior in high school and wants to go to college; and 3) the only work available to them in Mexico is fieldwork. But, the chief counsel said she'd reserve the right to appeal. So, the judge called in the oldest child who talked about how great his visit to Mexico was visiting his grandparents and that he wanted to go to college and not work in the fields. I couldn't believe the counsel almost asked him, "What do you have against fieldwork?" Fortunately, the kid didn't hear her and she didn't repeat herself. Then the other pastor testified to his relationship with the family and what a great father and church member the respondent is. The lawyer said that testimony sealed the deal. The judge proclaimed that "the deportation order is canceled" - such a phrase that doesn't adequately convey the emotions it causes - Yay! Gloria a Dios! He gets to stay! The kids get to stay! He gets to apply to be here legally. The lawyer doesn't think the counsel will appeal, but they do have 30 days to do so. We walked out about 4 p.m. a little stunned to tell the kids, "Good news!" The sra. cried when we told her outside in the parking lot. We celebrated at Pizza Hut. It was funny to arrive at Pizza Hut and three of us were on our cell phones.
I got my notebook and pen back with lots of games played and a prayer written by one kid in Spanish: (my translation)
Holy God, help me. Let my dad stay, please. I ask you from my heart. Please let him stay. From my heart. Amen.
Even though all I did was show up, the oldest kid told me, "Gracias, pastora."
