[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJxLzSvJLKmMT81NSk3RT04sKMnMz9Mpy0wtL9YHk3qJWYkVKAK5-SmlOakAd1UWCw","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307342__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"307342","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/307342","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307342__en","pager_element":0}}},"csp":{"nonce":"EcZjJ4HcC3IlEK9ZafrBJg"},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"bc8921424f39d39c64af84232b603fadae46f840a8176c1b2436a5ee00791ac5"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_ttdgUoxkB-pbINT5dW1cMh3IgYOCVTjCJ6Cp-XWwa0k.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNFLzEqs0EnNK8ksqYxPzU1KTdFPTiwoyczP0ynLTC0v1geTern5KaU5qQBrXRXg"}]},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VAWKYxPX4vFoyXs0iEPUrnc99CjyNLIu_pZawjEz9i8.js?scope=footer\u0026delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFQA22wZe"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307342__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307342__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EOne phone call upended Omar G.\u2019s life.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA caller tipped police off there was an undocumented person in Omar\u2019s Waco, Texas, home. He was picked up, and deported to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in March 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHis common-law wife Laura, a US citizen, followed as soon as she could, and when Human Rights Watch researchers met them in a migrant reception center in June, they had rented an apartment nearby and were seeking advice on a legal way to get Omar back to the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022 xmlns:xlink=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center info \u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/32870\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707us_mexico_laura_omar.jpg?itok=Dv0Hs50t 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707us_mexico_laura_omar.jpg?itok=GIfvXeQC 946w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 width=\u0022946\u0022 height=\u0022710\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707us_mexico_laura_omar.jpg?itok=GIfvXeQC\u0022 alt=\u0022Omar G. and his wife, Laura, speak with Human Rights Watch researchers at the Instituto Tamaulipeco in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewBox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-expand\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EOmar G. and his wife, Laura, speak with Human Rights Watch researchers at the Instituto Tamaulipeco in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.\u0026nbsp;\u00a9 2017 Human Rights Watch\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n \u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve got kids and grandkids back in Texas, so I\u2019ve got to get him home,\u201d Laura says of Omar.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Waco has a reputation as being aggressive about arresting undocumented immigrants, Laura and Omar loved living there despite the risks. \u201cWaco is beautiful and it\u2019s getting prettier all the time,\u201d says Laura, who has lived there all of her 52 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOmar, who is 51, arrived in Waco from Monterrey, Mexico, when he was 28, and moved in with a brother across the street from Laura\u2019s mother. Laura had custody of three small children from a previous marriage, and as their romance blossomed, Omar became a dedicated step-father. \u201cThe kids love him,\u201d Laura says, \u201cand he has had a big impact on the life of every single one of our eight grandchildren.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EOmar could fix anything, and he was a good carpenter, so he always had work. Laura, too, brought home wages, doing manual labor in warehouses. In 2008, she said crippling pain in her arms \u2013 whether arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or nerve damage hasn\u2019t been determined -- disabled her, and a surgery two years later didn\u2019t help much. At times when Laura couldn\u2019t even bathe herself, she said Omar cared for her with his usual competence, and with nurturing smiles.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThey said Omar had his first run-in with the immigration system four years ago. Undocumented immigrants aren\u2019t eligible for drivers\u2019 licenses in Texas, and after Waco police noticed expired tags on Omar\u2019s Buick, they found that he had no license. When an immigration judge learned that Omar was caring for Laura \u2013 his common-law wife \u2013 he urged the couple to formalize their relationship by marrying. But when they wrote down the wrong date for a court appearance \u2013 and missed it by one day \u2013 Omar was deported for the first time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter that deportation, Laura traveled south and met him in Monterrey, Mexico. Together, they reentered the US and were living in Waco when Omar was deported for the second time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis time, Laura said, \u201cwe want to do it right\u201d \u2013 which is why they are seeking legal advice. They\u2019re going to marry, she said \u2013 she regrets having postponed it as something frivolous and expensive. She\u2019ll also emphasize to immigration authorities her need for Omar as a caregiver; she has another surgery scheduled, and will need more. Unfortunately, under current law, Omar\u2019s deportations and reentries are likely to have made it extremely difficult for him to return to the US legally.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe couple misses their family and their neatly-maintained two-bedroom cottage, on which they\u2019ve paid off the mortgage and furniture. Omar\u2019s tools are waiting for him in the workshop he built out back.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey call me grandpa,\u201d Omar said of the little ones, a tear sliding down a cheek.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s not a good feeling, being deported from your home place,\u201d Laura said. \u201cYou may not have been born there, but you\u2019ve had your whole life there \u2013 and a part of me will never be over there if Omar\u2019s not.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__307342__en","data":"","settings":null}]