slow in
IS BACK WITH HER
CHILDREN TONIGHT--
AFTER BEING RELEASED
YESTERDAY FROM THE
CUSTODY OF IMMIGRATION
OFFICIALS.
LILIAN CALDERON WAS
ARRESTED LATE LAST
MONTH.
TODAY SHE SHARED HER
FRIGHTENING
EXPERIENCE.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
SPOKE TO LILIAN AND HER
FAMILY TODAY--
AND JOINS US NOW LIVE
WITH WHAT THEY HAD TO
SAY.
(KW)
WE ARE LIVE OUTSIDE THE
ACLU OFFICES IN
PROVIDENCE WHERE
EARLIER TODAY WE
HEARD FROM LILIAN
CALDERON - FOR THE
FIRST TIME SINCE SHE
WAS DETAINED BY
IMMIGRATION LAST
MONTH.
LILIAN CALDERON IS OUT OF
IMMIGRATION DETENTION - FOR
NOW.
SHE RECOUNTED HER STORY -
LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER
REUNITING WITH HER HUSBAND
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST
A MONTH.
"I would never have thought that
this would happen to us."
LILIAN MOVED TO THE U.S.
FROM GUATEMALA WHEN SHE
WAS THREE AS AN
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT.
ON JANUARY 17 - SHE AND HER
HUSBAND THOUGHT THEY
WERE COMPLYING WITH THE
GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY
WERE INTERVIEWED TO PROVE
THEIR MARRIAGE WAS VALID.
LILIAN REMEMBERS AT ONE
MOMENT - AGENTS APPROVED
THE MARRIAGE - THE NEXT -
THEY WERE PLACING HER IN
HANDCUFFS - HER HUSBAND
UNKNOWINGLY WAITING IN
ANOTHER ROOM.
"I just want to speak to him I
want to
say bye to him. They didn't even
give me a chance to say bye to
him..."
LILIAN CALLS THE IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM BROKEN: FOR THE
NEXT FEW WEEKS - SHE WAS
HELD AT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY
HOUSE OF CORRECTION IN
BOSTON - WITHOUT ANY
EXPLANATION.
"I didn't do anything wrong that
would put me in this position.
All I
tried to do was go to an
interview
with my husband."
THE ACLU OF RHODE ISLAND
AND MASSACHUSETTS FILED A
LAWSUIT SAYING ICE VIOLATED
HER RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS.
"These are tactics that achieve
no
legitimate government function
except that they instill fear in
immigrant communities and they
make people afraid to come out
and
to take advantage of the very
regulations that are set out for
them."
WE REACHED OUT TO
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
FOR COMMENT. THEY SENT US
A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART:
"While ICE does focus its
enforcement resources on
individuals who pose a threat to
national security, public safety
and
border security, no classes or
categories of removable aliens
are
exempt from potential
enforcement."
(KW)
NEXT AT 6 - YOU'LL HEAR
FROM LILIAN'S HUSBAND
LUIS.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, IM
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
(HE)
A FOLLOW-UP NOW ---
....TO THE CASE OF A
PROVIDENCE MOTHER,
RELEASED BY
IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS
YESTERDAY AFTER BEING
DETAINED FOR WEEKS.
TODAY LILLIAN CALDERON
AND HER HUSBAND LEWIS
TALKED ABOUT THEIR
ORDEAL.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
WAS AT THE NEWS
CONFERENCE, AND JOINS
US LIVE FROM THE
PROVIDENCE MOBILE
NEWSROOM.
(KW)
IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL
MORNING BEHIND ME AT
THE AMERICAN CIVIL
LIBERTIES UNION OFFICES
IN PROVIDENCE.
LILIAN CALDERON
DESCRIBED HER
TERRIFYING WEEKS IN JAIL
- AS HER LAWYERS FIGHT
NOW TO MAKE HER A
PERMANENT RESIDENT OF
THE U.S.
"You're with your husband and
your
children and we got to relish in
that."
A SMILING LILIAN CALDERON -
REUNITED WITH HER FAMILY -
AFTER NEARLY A MONTH IN THE
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
ENFORCEMENT UNIT OF THE
SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF
CORRECTIONS.
"You're trying to do the right
thing.
It's a broken system. It's a
system
that tells you do this and you
do it
because that's what you're told
but
they don't tell you that the
outcome
isn't going to be a good outcome
for
you."
LILIAN WAS ARRESTED ON
JANUARY 17 BY ICE AGENTS -
WHEN SHE AND HER HUSBAND
COMPLIED WITH THE
GOVERNMENT TO PROVE THEIR
MARRIAGE IS VALID.
"Speechless. I didn't know what
to
say."
LILIAN MOVED TO THE U.S.
FROM GUATEMALA AS AN
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT
WHEN SHE WAS 3.
HER LAWYER SAID THE
GOVERNMENT DENIED HER
PROTECTION FROM
DEPORTATION DUE TO A LACK
OF DOCUMENTATION.
SHE MET HER HUSBAND LUIS- A
U.S. CITIZEN - WHEN THEY
WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL IN
PROVIDENCE.
THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN
TOGETHER.
"The kids just ran up to Mommy
and
they were just calling Mommy's
name and they were all excited.
It
was a great feeling."
CONFUSION AND ANXIETY
REMAINS.
ICE ISSUED A 90 DAY STAY FOR
LILIAN - BUT WILL REEVALUATE
HER CASE IN MAY.
(KW)
WE REACHED OUT TO
IMMIGRATION AND
CUSTOMS FOR COMMENT.
THEY SENT US A
STATEMENT SAYING IN
PART THAT WHILE
UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANTS WITH
CRIMINAL RECORDS ARE
THE TOP PRIORITY -
ANYONE CONSIDERED A
REMOVABLE ALIEN IS
SUBJECT TO DETENTION.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, IM
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS