Meet a 62-year-old Washington state farmworker who chose self-deportation to Mexico after raising 4 children and 10 grandchildren in the U.S. | Fortune

"He was denied bond, despite letters of support from friends, family, his employer and a physician who said the family needed him. He was sent to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Washington, where his health rapidly declined in part because he was not always provided with his prescription medication for several medical conditions, including high blood pressure."

"At an appearance with an immigration judge, he asked to leave without a formal deportation mark on his record. The judge granted his request and he moved back to Mexico, alone. His case is an exemplar of the impact of the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to deport millions of migrants on an accelerated timetable, casting aside years of procedure and legal process in favor of expedient results."

"Similar dramas are playing out at immigration courts across the country, accelerating since early July, when ICE began opposing bond for anyone detained regardless of their circumstances. "He was the head of the house, everything - the one who took care of everything," said Gloria Guizar, 58, Rodriguez's wife. "Being separated from the family has been so hard. Even though our kids are grown, and we've got grandkids, everybody misses him.""

Ramón Rodriguez Vazquez, a 62-year-old farmworker of 16 years, was detained on Feb. 5 when immigration officers came to his home seeking someone else. He was denied bond despite letters of support from friends, family, his employer and a physician. While held at an ICE detention center in Tacoma, his health rapidly declined in part because he was not always provided prescription medication for several conditions, including high blood pressure. Emotional strain from being unable to care for family and a sick granddaughter overwhelmed him. He asked an immigration judge to leave without a formal deportation mark; the judge granted the request and he returned to Mexico alone. The case illustrates accelerated deportation actions and ICE opposition to bond for detainees, affecting communities and due-process norms.

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