Single Father of Six U.S. Citizen Children Is Deported After More Than 30 Years in the U.S.

• ICE: Father arrested on the way to school
• U.S. citizen children
• Unfinished VAWA process

A man who spent most of his adult life in the United States was deported to Mexico despite being the sole caregiver of his six children, all of whom are U.S. citizens.

The case has raised questions about the enforcement of immigration laws and the treatment of families with pending legal processes.

Rosalio Vásquez Meave lived in the United States for more than 34 years.

ICE Executes Deportation Despite Ongoing Legal Process

Last month, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him while he was carrying out a daily routine: taking his children to school.

Days later, he was deported to Mexico, according to his attorney, Michelle Edstrom, in statements to Newsweek.

Arrest During a Family Routine

According to Edstrom, Rosalio Vásquez Meave was detained on September 15 when an ICE vehicle intercepted him as he was transporting his children.

The attorney stated that her client had a valid work permit, an active driver’s license, and was the sole caregiver of the minors.

“He was the sole caregiver of the children when he dropped them off at school on the day ICE arrested him. He had a valid work permit and a valid driver’s license. He had what is known as a prima facie determination of his VAWA petition and was only waiting for the final decision on that application,” Edstrom said.

A Pending Immigration Process

In 2023, Rosalio Vásquez Meave applied for relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a protection that can also apply to parents of U.S. citizen children in cases involving abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

According to his attorney, the process was ongoing and no final resolution had been issued.

Edstrom explained that Vásquez Meave first arrived in the United States in 1990 as a teenager.

After leaving the country in 1999, he attempted to return believing he had applied for a work visa from Ciudad Juárez. However, he was arrested in 2000 while trying to reenter.

“Meave was previously deported to Mexico in the year 2000. He chose to commit a felony and illegally reenter the United States at an unknown date and location,” said Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.

Stable Life and Community Ties

Since 2000, Vásquez Meave remained in the United States, working independently in painting and construction, purchasing a home in Oklahoma, and maintaining strong community ties, according to Edstrom.

“He was self-employed in painting and construction. He owned his own home in Oklahoma. He had strong community ties. He obviously had family ties through his children. He was trying to do the process the right way and was still detained,” she said.

Detention and Medical Conditions as ICE Deports the Single Father of Six

Rosalio Vásquez Meave remained in custody until his deportation. During that time, according to his attorney, he went more than two weeks without access to medication for high blood pressure.

“He didn’t feel well at all,” Edstrom said.

“The anxiety of being separated from his children, combined with suddenly stopping his blood pressure and anxiety medications, was not good for him.”

DHS Position and Family Reunification

The Department of Homeland Security stated that pending applications do not grant legal status and that a final order of removal was reactivated.

McLaughlin asserted that ICE does not separate families and that parents are given the option to be deported with their children.

“ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they wish to be removed with their children, or ICE places the children with a safe person designated by the parent,” McLaughlin said.

Edstrom rejected that claim, stating that Rosalio Vásquez Meave was not given the option to travel with his children. Ultimately, the minors were reunited with their father in Mexico with the help of a close family friend.

What’s Next for Rosalio Vásquez Meave

Vásquez Meave’s legal team is now seeking congressional support to advance the resolution of his VAWA petition, while the case continues to fuel debate over immigration enforcement and its impact on families with U.S. citizen children.

The case of Rosalio Vásquez Meave highlights the tension between strict immigration enforcement and the realities faced by families with pending legal protections.

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While authorities maintain that actions were taken in accordance with the law and due process, his defense insists the deportation was carried out without proper consideration of his role as the sole caregiver of six U.S. citizen children—keeping the spotlight on why his deportation by ICE remains a deeply controversial issue.

The resolution of his petition under VAWA and the proceedings before Congress will be key to determining whether the case can be reopened or lead to a legal avenue that allows his return to the United States.

SOURCE: Newsweek