Obama Administration Deports Ardani Rosales Lemos To His Death In Guatemala

Ardani Rosales Lemos with Pablo, his 2-year-old U.S. born son.

ICE agents in Arizona deported Lemos, a pastor early this morning to Guatemala for a traffic violation.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Decmber 13, 2013

Florence, Arizona - On early Friday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Ardani Rosales Lemos to Guatemala around 2:00 a.m. (MST) ensuring his death under the hands of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13 gang). Lemos, a pastor came to the U.S. in 2005 shortly after nearly being beaten to death by the gang for working to keep teenagers from getting into gangs.

Lemos an undocumented immigrant who asked for asylum in the U.S.,  but was denied was busted last year for a traffic violation. He had been detained for a year and was deported early this morning while a vigil by activists and family was being held outside the deportation processing center.

According to those at the vigil, several decoy bus were used by ICE and several vans with at least 15 ICE agents who took part in escorting Lemos from a back exit of the Florence Service Processing Center 3250 N. Pinal Parkway to an airport.

Lemos leaves a 2-year-old son named Pablo and a 10-month-old daughter, both U.S. Citizens.
A detainee locator search with ICE shows Lemos is no longer in custody.

Shame on President Barack H. Obama and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for allowing Lemos to be deported and to face certain death by La Mara Salvatrucha gang in Guatemala.

Phoenix, Arizona - Pablo, 2, talks to his father, Ardani Rosales Lemos with a laptop webcam on the Internet. ICE deported Lemos to Guatemala on early Friday. Lemos from Guatemala shares some moments with his son in Phoenix after arriving in his native country.
Photo courtesy of Erika Andiola