NextSharkNextShark.com

NYC Dad Married to U.S. Citizen A‌r‌re‌st‌ed During Green Card Interview, Faces De‌por‌ta‌tion

NYC Dad Married to U.S. Citizen A‌r‌re‌st‌ed During Green Card Interview, Faces De‌por‌ta‌tion

June 18, 2018
SHARE
A man in Flushing, Queens, was separated from his wife and two children after being ar‌re‌ste‌d during his green card interview.
Xiu Qing You, 39, has been living in the U.S. for almost 20 years. He arrived ill‌ega‌lly in 2000 and applied for asylum.
Xiu Qing You
Unfortunately, You’s claim for asylum was denied. He then received an order of deportation in 2002, but it had not been ex‌ec‌uted until he showed up for his green card interview on May 23.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took him to his family’s shock.
Left to right: You’s daughter Mia, wife Chen, son Jared and himself.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

“When we went there, we were very happy. I never thought this would happen,” his wife, Yu Mei Chen, told the New York Daily News“Everything was in chaos. I couldn’t sleep at night at all. I’m on the verge of a mental collapse.”
You, who applied for permanent residency in 2015, is now facing de‌por‌tation back to China. He is currently held in a New Jersey detention center.
You and Chen (center) on their wedding
You’s attorney, Yee Ling Poon, said that his client has no cri‌m‌i‌n a‌l history in the U.S.
However, You fears that he, as a Roman Catholic, might be religiously persecuted in China, according to NBC.
You and daughter Mia
Chen, a U.S. citizen, said that they “followed the rules step by step to get status.” But the fact that she has not seen her husband since his ar‌‌r‌e‌st is taking a toll on their family.
“It’s like the sky is falling on me. I don’t know what to do now. And the kids are calling for their father, asking ‘Where’s my father?’ every day,” she said.
Mia’s drawing shows how much she misses her father.
For now, Chen is left in charge of their nail salon business in Connecticut, where she used to work long hours while You went home to take care of their kids, aged six and four. The family is reportedly exploring all possible legal avenues to get You out of det‌e‌nti‌on and continue living in the US.
You’s detainment follows a string of arrests by the ICE since the Trump administration enforced a more stringent immigration policy.
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Carl Samson

      Carl Samson is a Senior Editor for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.