A prominent Palm Beach, Florida, restaurant manager with no criminal record, a U.S. citizen spouse and three U.S. born children could be deported next week under President Donald Trump's new immigration policy — a situation that has led to an online petition that has drawn more than 1,200 signatures in less than 24 hours.
Francisco Javier Gonzalez, the general manager of the Pizza al Fresco restaurant, was born in Mexico and is known in the community by his middle name, Javier. He is scheduled to check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Broward County on July 14 — a date he fears could alter the life he has built in America.
Until this year, the annual check-in has been little more than a routine measure for Gonzalez. But under Trump’s expanded immigration policy, the once routine check-ins have become high stakes for immigrants like Gonzalez living in the United States.
“The last time, it was simple,” Gonzalez said. “This time, my lawyer is concerned. A lot of people have been detained who have my same problem.”
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