A Lakewood man finds refuge in a Seattle church hours before being deported to Mexico
A man facing deportation found sanctuary in a Seattle church Thursday after he was unable to obtain the city of Lakewood's help to stay in the United States.
Jose Robles, a Lakewood man and a father of three, is in the country illegally and has been ordered to return to his native Mexico. Earlier this week, he and his supporters tried to persuade Lakewood officials to sign off on a "U visa" which would allow Robles to extend his stay in the country.
People in the United States illegally can qualify for the document and a halt to deportation proceedings if they are victims of a crime and provide helpful information to law enforcement. Robles was the victim of an armed robbery and has worked with Lakewood authorities to identify a suspect, he and his supporters say.
A group of supporters gathered with Robles and his family Tuesday outside of Lakewood police headquarters to request a signature on his U visa.
Lakewood officials declined to sign off and said they are forbidden by law from discussing his case.
City spokeswoman Brynn Grimley said this year Lakewood has received 14 U visa forms and has responded to all within the time required by law. Of those, seven were certified by the City Attorney’s Office and seven were declined, Grimley said.
Robles sought other relief and found a temporary haven at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle, according to Victoria Mena, policy director and development strategist at Colectiva Legal del Pueblo. Mena said Robles will remain in the church "until Lakewood Police department decides to do the right thing" in giving Robles the signature.
Colectiva Legal del Pueblo is an organization that provides immigration legal services and advocacy for migrant justice.
"There is no way that I can live without my family. This has been a difficult decision for our family, but it’s the only way to keep us together," Robles said in a news release.
Robles sought an emergency stay of his deportation order Wednesday, just hours before his flight to Mexico, but the Board of Immigration Appeals denied it.
Robles came to the U.S. illegally 18 years ago, and he and his family have lived in Lakewood for over 10 years, according to his 24-year-old daughter, Brenda Robles. Two of his daughters, Brenda, and 19-year-old Yuritzy Robles, are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and his 8-year-old daughter is a citizen.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) considers churches to be a sensitive location. Mena said Gethsemane Lutheran Church has taken people in before and workers there are trained for the situation.
Meredith Spelbring: mspelbring@thenewstribune.com, 253-597-8509
This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 12:58 PM.