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Introduction
Michel (not his real name) is a professional jazz musician. In 1984 he was invited to come to the United States on a J-1 visa as part of a cultural exchange program. He returned to the Ivory Coast a few months later. In 1985 he was invited to come back to the US and has now spent over twenty years living here. Shortly after he returned in 1985 he married a United States citizen. However, Michel’s new wife was underage (they’d married with the written consent of her mother), and neither one understood how to apply for permanent residency or exactly what that implied. Three years later they had a daughter. They separated when the daughter was very young, but never divorced. Michel is trying to determine if they are still legally married.
Experiences of Detention: No End In Sight
In May, 2008, Michel was at his apartment in Michigan when ICE agents knocked on the door and took him to a county jail an hour away. Michel has never committed a crime, and his family is unsure if ICE even contacted him prior to his detention. Michel has two brothers living in the United States who are both citizens, in Chicago and Kentucky. Because of the great distance, it took two weeks for one brother to make the trip to Michigan. He spent most of his time visiting Michel and contacting lawyers. Since Michel’s family doesn’t know how long he will be detained, they were forced to pack up his apartment and pay all his bills in addition to their own. Michel had to give a 60-days notice on his apartment, and it will be challenge for his brothers to continue paying for it. Some musicians who know Michel are planning to hold a benefit to raise funds for his legal defense.
Michel and his family have no idea for how long he will be detained. Friends who experienced similar situations told them that the Ivory Coast is currently refusing to accept deportees regardless of whether or not they’ve committed a crime. The Ivory Coast is currently engaged in a civil war and relies heavily on migrants to send money back home to their families, as Michel was doing. The embassy has told Michel and his family that ICE is pressuring them to issue a new passport for Michel.
Conclusion
Michel entered the United States legally. He has lived here for more than 20 years, never committed a crime, and was completely self-supporting. His only mistake was failing to apply for permanent residency because he didn’t understand the necessity or how to apply, even though his marriage entitled him to do so. Returning to the Ivory Coast would at best be a huge financial strain for Michel and his family, as while the war wages musicians are not in demand. At worst, returning could endanger his life. His family is investigating the possibility that he could relocate to a third country and continue working as a jazz musician while his lawyer works on his case, so that he does not remained detained indefinitely.
