Illegally in the USA? Don’t Gasp and Whine When the Law Crashes Your Party

Daily, there is a new sob story in the news about someone being deported. Today's story was particularly sad because the couple had been here for decades and weren't criminals. They also weren't harassing people going to their college classes.

While living in Orange County, the couple raised three daughters, all U.S. citizens, and now have a new grandson. Full Story: https://t.co/2YlYdfFEEb pic.twitter.com/yq3xzLkIdh
— KTLA (@KTLA) March 20, 2025

An Orange County couple that came to the United States without authorization some 35 years ago, raised three daughters and now have a new grandson were deported to Colombia earlier this week, according to media reports.
Nelson Gonzalez, 59, and his wife Gladys Gonzalez, 55, originally entered the states near San Ysidro before ultimately settling in Laguna Niguel and starting their family.
While the couple tried numerous legal avenues to remain in the country over the years, including appeals to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Board of Immigration Appeals, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Orange County Register that the Gonzalezes had “exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S. between March 2000 and August 2021,” and were ultimately in violation of immigration law.

Is this situation sad? Yes. Would these people have been my first priority for deportation? No. Should they still be deported? Yes. They are here illegally. They tried to rectify that issue several time over the years, but were never able to do so. They should have taken that as a sign and moved back to their home country. That is what responsible parents who do not want to break up their family do. You don't remain in the country and hope for the best. They did just that and now they are separated from their daughters and grandson.

So they knew that they had exhausted all legal options to remain from 2000 to 2021, but stayed anyway?

They were slated for deportation under the Biden administration. pic.twitter.com/qBplJf8Rer
— Rose of Sharon Mayer (@RozeRage) March 20, 2025

What would happen if any one of us did this in Norway, Denmark, UK, Germany, France - etc? Found us living there illegally you think they would throw us a party?
— Ken (@KenRETFCCM) March 20, 2025

In May 2014, I grew tired of living in a neighborhood governed by an HOA and began searching for land. I discovered a stunning lakefront property for sale at an incredible price, but there was a catch: the sellers demanded cash and a quick closing. Fortunately, I managed to sell my house swiftly to meet their terms. Why the rush? The sellers, a couple from the UK, were facing deportation. They had moved to the US and built a thriving real estate business, assisting other UK citizens in purchasing vacation homes in Florida, where I live. Their plan was to construct a 6,000-square-foot home on the property I now own.

They had invested tens of thousands of dollars in an immigration attorney who promised to help them secure citizenship. Tragically, she turned out to be a fraud, taking their money without delivering any results. As a result, they overstayed their visas, and the US government ordered them to leave, despite their having been scammed. Like the couple mentioned in the article, they could have remained in Florida, hoping ICE wouldn’t track them down. But as responsible parents, they recognized that staying would be reckless. Instead, they made the mature choice: they sold their property and returned to the UK. That’s what principled people do

I desperately want a shiny new SUV—something fancy and sleek. I could just take one. It probably wouldn’t really hurt anyone, right? The owner likely has insurance, so they’d be reimbursed for the loss. I’d get what I want, no one would suffer, and I’d even drive extra carefully. Heck, I’d sometimes use my fancy stolen car to deliver food donations to our local pantry. So, not only would it technically not harm anyone, but I’d be happy and doing good with my ill-gotten ride. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Of course not—it’s illegal! Even if I managed to pull it off, I’d live in constant fear of a cop pulling me over, running the VIN, and discovering it’s stolen. That’s no way to live. So, instead, I stick with the less glamorous option: my 1999 Suburban. Yes, you read that right—a 1999. It’s what I can afford, legally. I might not turn heads cruising around town, but I also don’t lose sleep worrying about jail time. Peace of mind beats a flashy ride any day.