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A Cautionary Tale About The Current Trump Immigration Round-Up
In 1973 I had a friend in Baltimore Named Albatore De Paul. He was a real estate agent and a great friend. Albatore had a funny quirk. He kept his US passport on him at all times.
When I asked him why, he told me a fascinating story going back to the time when John F. Kennedy was president. All four members of the family had been born in Italy. When Albatore was young, the father got a job offer in Managua, Nicaragua. Albatore spent some years in Managua. The next move for the family was to Baltimore, Maryland. The entire family became naturalized US citizens. Albatore’s brother Vincent went to law school. He became a famous criminal defense attorney in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
In the early 1960’s, the Immigration And Naturalization Service arrested Albatore. They claimed that he did not have legal residence or citizenship in the United States. Albatore produced his naturalization certificate and US passport. Immigration officials told an immigration judge that they had no record of Albatore even been admitted legally to the USA. The judge issued a deportation order for Albatore. He found himself on a plane for Managua, Nicaragua.
Albatore’s brother went to a Maryland US senator and the local congressman there in Baltimore. The INS found a lot of political pressure being applied. Miraculously they found Albatore’s file that had been lost or misplaced.
A few months after his deportation, Albatore found himself back in Baltimore. The INS never issued an official apology.
There is a moral to this story. The government personnel carrying out this immigration round-up now are going to become over worked, exhausted and emotionally distraught. Mistakes are going to be made. We may even see US citizens deported in error. It has happened before.