Gracias Jerry!

More on Cobb County: About to lose it all
Found in Mundo Hispanico
Written by Linda Carolina Pérez
Posted on 2007-11-08

A translation of “A punto de perderlo todo”

www.mundohispanico.com/actualidad/content/actualidad/articulos/1025_articulo2.html

By Linda Carolina Pérez
10/25/2007

Translated by GALEO, Alexis Gassenhuber, Intern

Posted on GALEO on 11/8/07.

His journey to jail, his fear of leaving his house, and the possibility of being deported have a Mexican man ready to “throw in the towel”.

There are times when I say to my wife, “Do you know what would be better? We’ll take our things and leave for Mexico,” said Andrés Ernesto Perales, who was detained for 15 days in the Cobb County Jail after being taken into custody for lacking a driver’s license.

Perales, who has lived in the U.S. for 13 years, was released after paying bail to the County and promising to appear before an immigration judge on October 30.

What happens on this day determines the future of this man, his wife, and his six children. Meanwhile, they may only be careful and pray that the judge’s decision will not be to separate them.

“It’s a sad situation because if they tell me to go, I do not want to go without my children. They do not have passports and I need to take out passports but they cost 80 or 90 dollars for each one,” said Perales, who became economically
devastated after his time in prison.

“The little money that I had saved was spent in those 15 days,” stated the Mexican, who works in construction.

Even though they have recommended that he not drive, Perales affirmed that he has no alternative. “I cannot pay for taxi rides because I have six children, I have many expenses. My rent, the bills, children’s clothes, shoes, food… additionally, my mother has diabetes and I also cover her expenses,” he ascertained.

Moreover, he must obtain money to pay a lawyer who represented him before the immigration judge and to pay a ticket for driving without a license in Rome, Georgia.

Perales asserted that he feels that he’s on the edge of losing everything.

“I bought a little trailer three years ago and I have worked hard to be able to purchase it, for my children, and now this happens to me,” he stated.

The Perales family awaits a favorable decision at their immigration hearing. Some lawyers have told them that they have arguments in their favor, including having lived so many years in this country and for Mr. Perales being the sole provider to children who are citizens.

“In any case, I will find a way to stay, especially for my children. In Mexico I will not be able to support them, I do not even have a house there,” he concluded.