Rosalio Vasquez Meave, a single father of six U.S. citizen children, was deported to Mexico last month after more than 34 years in the United States, despite working legally and raising his family there, after ICE arrested him while he was taking his children to school.
ICE Arrest During a School Drop-Off Shocks Family
Rosalio Vasquez Meave was arrested on September 15, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. His attorney, Michelle Edstrom, told Newsweek that ICE officers stopped him while he was driving his children to school in the morning.
Edstrom said Vasquez Meave was the only caregiver for his six children at that time. All six children are U.S. citizens. He also had a valid work permit and a valid driver’s license when ICE arrested him.
According to his lawyer, Vasquez Meave had been following legal procedures to stay in the country. In 2023, he applied for immigration relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This law allows certain parents of U.S. citizen children to apply for legal status if the children have faced abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The law applies to people of all genders.
Edstrom explained that Vasquez Meave had received a “prima facie determination,” which means immigration officials had found enough initial evidence to allow him to work legally while his case was being reviewed. While awaiting a final decision on his application, Vasquez Meave was arrested by ICE.
According to his attorney, he was the sole caretaker of his children at the time and had been dropping them off at school. Edstrom said he had valid work authorization and was following all legal requirements.
Despite this, Vasquez Meave was taken into custody. His children were left suddenly without their father and main caregiver.
Long Immigration History and Conflicting Accounts
Vasquez Meave first came to the United States in 1990 as a teenager, according to his attorney. He lived in the country for several years before returning to Mexico in 1999. In 2000, he attempted to re-enter the U.S., believing he was applying for a work visa through an office in Ciudad Juárez.
Edstrom said Vasquez Meave did not understand that the documents he had were invalid. When he tried to enter the U.S. with them, he was arrested and removed to Mexico in 2000.
The Department of Homeland Security provided a different view of this event. McLaughlin stated that Vasquez Meave was previously removed in 2000 and later committed a felony by illegally re-entering the United States at an unknown time and location.
After returning to the U.S. in 2000, Vasquez Meave remained in the country continuously, according to his lawyer. He built a life there, working as a self-employed painter and construction worker. Edstrom said he owned his own home in Oklahoma and had strong ties to the local community.
“He had significant community ties,” Edstrom said. “His family life was centered around his children, and he was trying to fix his immigration status the right way.”
Despite his pending VAWA application, DHS stated that “pending applications do not confer legal status.” McLaughlin said ICE reinstated Vasquez Meave’s final order of removal, which allowed the agency to deport him without further hearings.
Health Concerns, Family Separation, and DHS Response
Vasquez Meave remained in ICE custody until his deportation last month. During that time, his attorney said he was denied medication for high blood pressure and anxiety for more than two weeks.
Michelle Edstrom said the lack of medication, combined with the stress of being separated from his six children, seriously affected his health. “He was not feeling well at all,” she said, describing the situation as extremely difficult for him.
After his deportation to Mexico, Vasquez Meave’s children later reunited with him. Edstrom said a family friend temporarily cared for the children and helped arrange their travel so they could be with their father.
The Department of Homeland Security said Vasquez Meave did not ask to have his children deported with him. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE does not separate families and that parents are usually given a choice to leave with their children or place them with a safe person. She said this policy is consistent across administrations.
Edstrom disputed this claim. She said Vasquez Meave was never given the option to take his children with him when he was deported.
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The case comes amid heightened immigration enforcement. DHS said more than 605,000 deportations have occurred since January 20, along with 1.9 million voluntary self-deportations since January 2025.
Edstrom said she is seeking congressional help for Vasquez Meave’s VAWA application. She stressed that he worked legally, paid taxes, and was raising his children. DHS maintained that he received full due process under the law.
