Jesus Oláguez
Portrait by: Leopoldo Peña
21. Family Over Everything
“In 2013, the public defender told me that if I pleaded guilty on a felony, it would reduce my jail time, so I pleaded guilty. But he didn’t tell me that it would have causes in my immigration status until later down the road. So later on, probation went to my house because he had to see me once a week, but took the ICE agents to my house dressed as police officers. That’s when they told me about my immigration status, because of the felony … They told me if I wanted to fight, it would be a year to fight it, but they said that there wouldn’t be no chance of me staying in the US, so I told them, well, I’m just gonna get deported.”