The story of José and his deportation journey

José was dropped off in Chiapas, Mexico, on a Wednesday this month, about 2,000 miles away from his family’s hometown, with nothing but the clothes on his back.

Those clothes were blood stained from the arrest, when he says ICE agents beat him. He had no money, and U.S. immigration officials had kept his Mexican identification and passport.

His first order of business, after he was able to call his family to check in: finding a shelter and a new set of clothes that weren’t covered in blood. It took him two more days to reach his sister’s home in Baja California. 

José, whose full name Voces Unidas is not using, was detained by ICE on July 31 in Rifle, Colorado, and has since been deported to Mexico. He spoke to Voces Unidas from Mexico now that he’s settled and remembering the ordeal.

Like many targeted by ICE on Colorado’s Western Slope, José had no violent criminal record or any open criminal cases. He feels that his rights were violated at every stage in the process.

While in custody, José signed a document presented to him to self-deport, without access to legal counsel – a trend Voces Unidas continues to hear from many people who claim they are pressured to sign documents with the promise of an expedited deportation. He had already planned to return to Mexico in December. Instead, it happened suddenly – and violently.

“I’ve had a rough time,” José said.

With no money, he quickly realized how expensive everything is, even in Mexico.

When he was able to get in touch with Mexican authorities, he received 2,000 pesos (roughly $107 with today’s exchange rates), part of the Mexican government’s attempts to assist deportees that are arriving in higher numbers. 

It wasn’t quite enough to get a full bus ride home, so his family had to help. He also needed identification to be able to purchase a bus ticket. Mexican authorities were eventually able to print him a copy of his birth certificate to travel, since ICE kept his original identification.

Although he had his cellphone with him, he didn’t have a charger, so he had to limit his calls to check in only a few times throughout the trip. 

Now, José is looking for work in Mexico. But he is still feeling the pain from the injuries he sustained during the arrest and he’s worried it’s going to affect his ability to work.

In the 10 years that José lived in Colorado, he worked as a carpenter. A previous workplace accident had required shoulder surgery and the installation of a metal plate. He thought it would be removed soon. Now, he doesn’t know if or how that will happen. His shoulder hurts as it did before surgery, and he struggles to lift it fully. But he’s trying to hold on to hope that it will heal.

José said his friends in Garfield County have a cellphone recording of the arrest. 

It happened around noon on July 31. José lived in Rifle and was detained after pulling into a hotel parking lot. The morning of his arrest, José had gone out and noticed an unusually large number of police vehicles around. Some stopped at the same gas station he did. Then on the drive back, as he pulled into the hotel’s parking lot, the police vehicles dispersed just as some new unmarked SUV’s started to drive behind him.

He parked, but was unsure if he should get out. He did, and as soon as he stepped out, ICE agents tried to arrest him.

Scared, José’s instinct was to run. Later, he questioned why he did that, after they piled over him, yelling at him and hitting him.

José said that he was so bloody and beaten that when he first arrived at the Aurora detention center the next morning, he was held in isolation for a couple of days while the swelling on his body went down. He said that ICE drew his blood, to ensure he didn’t have any highly contagious illness that officers who detained him should be worried about, he was told.

In the nine days he was held in Aurora, José asked multiple times about the results of his blood work but no one ever told him anything about it again, he said.

In detention, José said that the biggest frustration was that private security guards have no authority, and ICE agents were rarely present.

Other than the small meals, the detention facility was calm, he said. The people he was detained with were humble, hard working and far from the “hardened criminals” stereotypes ICE promotes. 

It’s a stark contrast to his experience with the ICE agents he encountered throughout the process.

“They act like mercenaries,” José said. “It’s like they think they’re Gods.”

Now he is hoping more people will realize how immigrants are being treated. 

The ACLU recently told CNN that “everyone is entitled to protection from unreasonable search and seizure and excessive use of force under the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment.”

Despite that, it’s becoming commonplace to see videos of ICE agents aggressively arresting immigrants.

Voces Unidas is continuing to monitor reports as we speak with lawyers and lawmakers. If you see something you would like to report, call 970-340-8586.