Pastor, father of 5 deported to Guatemala after 2 decades in Florida

Michie · Tuesday at 8:58 AM

A pastor who led a small Hispanic church in Florida was deported to Guatemala after more than two decades of living in the United States, leaving his wife and five children feeling that the world as they knew it had come to an end.

Maurilio Ambrocio, a 42-year-old pastor who led the 50-member Iglesia de Santidad Vida Nueva in Wimauma, told the Tampa Bay Times he was among 100 Guatemalan immigrants deported from New Orleans through a charter flight. He was allowed to contact his family once he arrived and was provided with information to help with reintegration into Guatemalan society.

Ambrocio was arrested in mid-April during a check-in at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Tampa. He lived in Florida for more than 20 years after entering the U.S. illegally. He left his home in Guatemala when he was 15 years old.

Continued below.

Pastor, father of 5 deported to Guatemala after 2 decades in Florida

A pastor who led a small Hispanic church in Florida was deported to Guatemala after more than two decades of living in the United States, leaving his wife and five children feeling that their world

www.christianpost.com

RileyG · Tuesday at 2:19 PM

Ugh that’s awful!

Tom8907 · Tuesday at 2:46 PM

My prayers for the pastor and his family at this time

ozso · Tuesday at 7:30 PM

I know he had a being allowed to stay by the skin of his teeth deal. But what kept him from obtaining citizenship over a period of 20 years?

Michie · Tuesday at 8:11 PM

ozso said:
I know he had a being allowed to stay by the skin of his teeth deal. But what kept him from obtaining citizenship over a period of 20 years?

That’s a good question. I wondered the same.

ozso · Tuesday at 8:24 PM

Michie said:
That’s a good question. I wondered the same.

I know it sounds crass, but I'm wondering who's at fault here. It seems like accountability is considered a dirty word these days.

Richard T · Wednesday at 12:30 PM

ozso said:
I know he had a being allowed to stay by the skin of his teeth deal. But what kept him from obtaining citizenship over a period of 20 years?

I do not think he could apply as a minor. Once he was 18, if he wants to immigrate legally there are a host of issues. He would have to name his parents and where they live plus ICE would check anyone at his address likely to see if there were other illegals. He would have to have sufficient income and be able to pay the fees. The biggest reason though is that those who want to immigrate must do so from outside of the USA. Once inside illegally, bans to immigrate take effect. He had additional issues as well since he was deported in 2006 and became illegal a second time. Two illegal entries is a permanent ban including those as a minor if after 1997. According to law it appears he mayl never be eligible for a green card. Permanent Bar for Two or More Illegal Entries – INA 212(a)(9)(C)(i)

He was given some mercy from previous administrations and it looks like he showed up to all his annual appointments, a condition for his continued presence in the USA. With the Trump Crackdown though, his time was up. His best hope would have been to live in Guatemala when he was deported in 2006, wait through any ban and the two years or so to process his visa. He would also need a sponsor of sufficient income in the USA, and there would be no guarantee he would be granted a visa. He would have been just around 24 at the time, and having never worked in Guatemala, I imagine it would be hard to adjust especially if there was no family support.

I think the only way he returns is as an illegal or a more gracious US administration or some other act of God. There are waivers after waiting ten or twenty years. So this is one family that likely will either have to live in Guatemala, or be separated. Given his children are adult or teens, it looks like a separation because I doubt they would want to live in Guatemala. So while Trump is deporting criminals, he is also deporting some good foreigners that are contributing to the USA. It is sad of course, but it is the law. It will also be even more worse if the birthright citizenship is revoked for children born in the USA from illegals. I imagine though its unconstitutional or that this man's kids will be allowed to stay because the executive order should not apply to those born before the order was given.

"According to a statement from DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, "Maurilio Amizael Ambrocio Mendez is an illegal alien from Guatemala who illegally re-entered the U.S. after being deported in 2006. While illegally in the U.S., Mendez was convicted for driving without a license in 2012. He received final removal orders from a judge on January 13, 2013. He was arrested by ICE on April 17, 2025, in Tampa." Pastor in US for 26 years detained by ICE at immigration appointment

Permanent Bar for Two or More Illegal Entries – INA 212(a)(9)(C)(i)

[Read Post in Spanish] The problem with multiple EWI or Entry Without Inspection is the automatic permanent bar to (1) U.S. citizenship, (2) Any U.S. Visa, and (3) Receiving Lawful Permanent Residence or a Green Card. There is no immediate waiver. This post will pose common questions and helpful...

www.fickeymartinezlaw.com

ozso · Wednesday at 7:13 PM

Richard T said:
I do not think he could apply as a minor. Once he was 18, if he wants to immigrate legally there are a host of issues. He would have to name his parents and where they live plus ICE would check anyone at his address likely to see if there were other illegals. He would have to have sufficient income and be able to pay the fees. The biggest reason though is that those who want to immigrate must do so from outside of the USA. Once inside illegally, bans to immigrate take effect. He had additional issues as well since he was deported in 2006 and became illegal a second time. Two illegal entries is a permanent ban including those as a minor if after 1997. According to law it appears he mayl never be eligible for a green card. Permanent Bar for Two or More Illegal Entries – INA 212(a)(9)(C)(i)

He was given some mercy from previous administrations and it looks like he showed up to all his annual appointments, a condition for his continued presence in the USA. With the Trump Crackdown though, his time was up. His best hope would have been to live in Guatemala when he was deported in 2006, wait through any ban and the two years or so to process his visa. He would also need a sponsor of sufficient income in the USA, and there would be no guarantee he would be granted a visa. He would have been just around 24 at the time, and having never worked in Guatemala, I imagine it would be hard to adjust especially if there was no family support.

I think the only way he returns is as an illegal or a more gracious US administration or some other act of God. There are waivers after waiting ten or twenty years. So this is one family that likely will either have to live in Guatemala, or be separated. Given his children are adult or teens, it looks like a separation because I doubt they would want to live in Guatemala. So while Trump is deporting criminals, he is also deporting some good foreigners that are contributing to the USA. It is sad of course, but it is the law. It will also be even more worse if the birthright citizenship is revoked for children born in the USA from illegals. I imagine though its unconstitutional or that this man's kids will be allowed to stay because the executive order should not apply to those born before the order was given.

"According to a statement from DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, "Maurilio Amizael Ambrocio Mendez is an illegal alien from Guatemala who illegally re-entered the U.S. after being deported in 2006. While illegally in the U.S., Mendez was convicted for driving without a license in 2012. He received final removal orders from a judge on January 13, 2013. He was arrested by ICE on April 17, 2025, in Tampa." Pastor in US for 26 years detained by ICE at immigration appointment

Permanent Bar for Two or More Illegal Entries – INA 212(a)(9)(C)(i)

[Read Post in Spanish] The problem with multiple EWI or Entry Without Inspection is the automatic permanent bar to (1) U.S. citizenship, (2) Any U.S. Visa, and (3) Receiving Lawful Permanent Residence or a Green Card. There is no immediate waiver. This post will pose common questions and helpful...

www.fickeymartinezlaw.com

I'm sure you've known legal immigrants. I certainly have. In the kind of work I do probably 50% of the workforce are legal immigrants. Young legal immigrants. And they don't have horror stories to tell about getting citizenship.

Richard T · Thursday at 7:05 AM

ozso said:
I'm sure you've known legal immigrants. I certainly have. In the kind of work I do probably 50% of the workforce are legal immigrants. Young legal immigrants. And they don't have horror stories to tell about getting citizenship.

Actually I have known only a few that have gotten citizenship. Just last week though my retired Navy friend, returning to the USA with his foreign wife, was berated by US immigration for having left the USA. This pattern has repeated for them enough that they no longer are pursuing US permanent immigration status and will instead live overseas. Two hours plus of questioning at the Guam border was too much. (previously it was hawaii and houston) While legal immigration is still working for some, it is not working for many others. But of course there are lots of visa categories and lots of internal issues that Congress never addressed since Reagan gave amnesty in the early 80s. Illegals piled up and Trump is trying to deal with it. To me it is extreme, and a bit harder if not impossible for some to get legal status. I respect democracy though and laws so we will see how it goes. Perhaps God has other plans for this pastor and his family. Sad that they are split apart though and unable to all reside in the USA. but he did break the law in 2006 and the mercy ran out.

ozso · Thursday at 8:13 AM

Richard T said:
Actually I have known only a few that have gotten citizenship. Just last week though my retired Navy friend, returning to the USA with his foreign wife, was berated by US immigration for having left the USA. This pattern has repeated for them enough that they no longer are pursuing US permanent immigration status and will instead live overseas. Two hours plus of questioning at the Guam border was too much. (previously it was hawaii and houston) While legal immigration is still working for some, it is not working for many others. But of course there are lots of visa categories and lots of internal issues that Congress never addressed since Reagan gave amnesty in the early 80s. Illegals piled up and Trump is trying to deal with it. To me it is extreme, and a bit harder if not impossible for some to get legal status. I respect democracy though and laws so we will see how it goes. Perhaps God has other plans for this pastor and his family. Sad that they are split apart though and unable to all reside in the USA. but he did break the law in 2006 and the mercy ran out.

In my line of work which I've been doing for over 30 years, I've worked with innumerable people who came here from another country. And I know the industry if full of them. And I know the background checks we have to pass are way too stringent for them to have not achieved full citizenship.

Richard T · 2025-07-11T08:08:58-0500

ozso said:
In my line of work which I've been doing for over 30 years, I've worked with innumerable people who came here from another country. And I know the industry if full of them. And I know the background checks we have to pass are way too stringent for them to have not achieved full citizenship.

I too admit it is still possible to get a U.S. visa and citizenship. However, that is harder now than at most previous times. Some though are locked out like this pastor. He had temporary status and Congress never paved the way to make it possible for him since he was illegal twice and likely banned. Without Congress all Biden and Obama could offer was a bandaid. Trump follows the law more strictly and seeks to remove the temporary status of hundreds of thousands. So here we are. Some prefer Trump's actions, others do not.

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Pastor, father of 5 deported to Guatemala after 2 decades in Florida

Michie

Well-Known Member