Dumfries immigrant faces deportation

DUMFRIES — A Dumfries man now faces deportation from the U.S. after a visit to a federal immigration and customs office. 

From a press release: 

Fifty-seven-year old Juan Gutierrez Palomino will be deported to Peru after being detained during a routine ICE check-in in June. Juan is currently being held at the Farmville detention center.

A cherished member of his family, Juan has no criminal history. His wife and children are all U.S. citizens. His a 21-year old son is now serving in the Air Force and 13-year old daughter is an excellent student attending middle school. 

Juan was doing exactly as ordered when he reported to his ICE check-in. Now, he’s being treated as a criminal and will be forced to leave his family behind. Community members are preparing a fast and a vigil in Dumfries, where he lived with his family, on Saturday. Congregations throughout the state will be recognizing Pastor Juan and his family in their worship services to raise awareness.

We’re told, Gutierrez Palomino has lived in the U.S. for 21 years, and has not been a U.S. citizen during that time. Since 2011, Gutierrez Palomino has sought an “adjustment of status” from the Federal Government that would have permitted him temporary status to live with his wife, who has citizenship.

The fact that Gutierrez Palomino’s wife is a U.S. citizen does not mean he would have been granted automatic citizenship, according to a spokeswoman from the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which sent us the press release.

At the June 18 visit to the ICE office in Northern Virginia, Gutierrez Palomino was detained and taken to Farmville.

We’ve asked Central Virginia Sanctuary Network for more information about where and when the vigil will be held. We’ll post that information when/if we receive it.