Warren & Angie

Country of Origin: Trinidad

Currently LIving In: Brooklyn NY

Statement delivered by Angie to the 2nd Consulate Roundtable convened by Families for Freedom in September 2005.

My name is Angela Joseph. I am here with my mom. We came today to talk about my brother, Warren. He and I came to this country in 1987 with greencards. Mom, a US citizen, had sent for us from Trinidad.
Within 6 months of coming to this country, Warren enlisted in the US Armed Forces. We were living in Brownsville – a pretty rough neighborhood, even for Brooklyn. He wanted to escape the drugs and crime.
Warren served in the army for 8 years. He even went to the First Gulf War. The army trained him to “kill or be killed.” He was a brave soldier. He was recognized for returning to battle after an injury and successfully getting a vehicle and personnel out of Iraq safely. He received 13 Army achievement medals, 1 commendation medal, 2 good conduct medals and 2 certificates commending him for “exceptional meritorious achievement.”
But when Warren came back to us, he wasn’t the same person. As a young man in Trinidad, he did not drink, smoke or use drugs. But like so many veterans, he returned with various physical, mental and psychological ailments, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After serving eight years in the United States Army, he became an alcoholic, a heavy smoker and eventually a serious drug user.
To support his habit, he turned to crime. In 2001, he was convicted on a gun and tobacco charge and given 2 years probation. In 2003 the government said he violated probation, and sent him to jail for 6 months. Warren was a mess. As a sister, seeing his life unravel was so painful. And I was angry: the government was not giving this veteran any help with rehabilitation. They were just locking him up.
Matters got worse. In November 2003, when we thought Warren was coming back to us, the federal immigration authorities took him because he is not a citizen. During his military service, he applied to become a naturalized citizen twice. He paid the fees and was interviewed by the INS, yet never received any adjudication. Now the same country that he served was trying to deport him.
When my brother was detained, we called the Red Cross. We wanted a lawyer right away. They referred us to a lawyer who is a veteran. He connected us with our current attorney. Our lawyer is doing the best she can. She is very good.
But we are not winning the fight for this veteran’s liberty. He has been in detention for almost 2 years – far longer than his criminal sentence. They are classifying him as an “aggravated felon” and giving him mandatory detention and mandatory deportation. Despite his proven allegiance to this country, his ties to U.S. citizens, and his children, my brother is not even allowed to ask an immigration judge for a pardon. And he has to rot in a jail, waiting for some legal argument or miracle to save him.
I visit my brother twice a week. He is being held at Hudson County Jail in New Jersey. I try not to cry. I have to give us courage. Whenever I go to him, I pray with him, to give him support. We are all frustrated. For some reason, the government does not want to help. They don’t want to treat him. They just want to send him back.
Warren has 4 children, ages 14, 9, 8 and 6. They were all born here. We had to send one of them, Jewel, to Trinidad. Her grandmother there is raising her because her mom can’t raise children and work.
If deported, my brother would be separated from our mother, his only sister and four daughters, all United States citizens. I wonder: how can the U.S. toss this man away? Do they expect Trinidad to take care of Warren, when his wounds came from his service to this country?