Houston teacher faces deportation as early as next week

[peejay 327]

Houston teacher faces deportation as early as next week

By Brad Woodard / 11 News

A Houston school teacher faces deportation as early as next week.

If forced to go back to Haiti she’ll leave behind an American husband and two children.

So why is she being singled out?

It’s basically anarchy with large amounts of violence.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, haunting images from Haiti speak volumes about what could await 28-year-old Marie Baptiste.

”I’m supposed to be going back home, but what is home? I don’t know what home is,” she said.

When 11 News first met Baptiste back in October, it was one day before she was to be deported back to Haiti. She had fled that strife-ridden country as a 9-year-old and made a life for herself in Houston.

Marie is a science teacher at Woodson Middle School, married to a U.S. citizen and the mother of two U.S. born children. She was ordered back to Haiti after a doctor’s appointment for one of those children made her 10 minutes late for an asylum hearing.

“I was there with my baby, and my baby’s father and a doctor’s note with my child and I didn’t get to see the judge or say anything to the judge. He just closed my case and that was it.”

Or so she thought.

Strangely enough, Baptiste’s petition for a visa has since been approved, but she can’t be considered for residency unless the government reopens her deportation case.

The day after our story aired, Baptiste was granted an extension and hope.

But earlier this week, she was quietly transported from ICE’s detention facility in Houston to Oakdale, Louisiana where she awaits deportation the first week of January.

“They basically are not interested in reopening her immigration case unfortunately,” said Lawrence Rushton, immigration attorney.

In a last ditch effort, her attorney is filing a request with the government to allow Baptiste to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.

“Having young children in the U.S. and being married to a citizen of the U.S. definitely is going to be a tremendous hardship if she’s deported, not just for herself, but her family,” Rushton said.

For now, her family waits.

“We don’t want her to go back to Haiti. The country is not stable,” said Gene Alexander, uncle.

“Over there is killing,” Marie Alexander said. “There is no respect. They’re killing even soldiers. She’s going to die.”

Baptiste’s children aren’t much younger than she was when she came to the U.S.

“I love her, and I miss her,” Marie’s daughter Natasha said.

You can’t help but wonder if they truly comprehend what’s at stake.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...n.5a892eeb.html

[Fandango 1,440]

That's terrible!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Shameful and tragic to use laws that undermine what this country was founded on. Sad, sad, sad...

[dani_christine 0]

ok, in this case...this is very, very sad. it sounds, at least, from the article, that this woman was actually making an attempt to do the right thing. she had filed for assylum...she was trying, i guess. i do wonder if it took her being pushed to the point of possible deportation before she began proceedings to make herself legal.

after all, she was here since she was 9 years old? i'm certain that she knew for many years that she was illegal...flying under the radar. maybe she only filed for assylum once she was caught?

i dunno. either way, it's sad that her children will be losing their mother. if it were me, and my husband was about to be deported, i would file for emergency assylum in another country (canada, UK, australia, south africa, etc) so that hopefully, my family could remain together.

[pedroh 21]

also, the colombian wife of that senator ain't being deported either.. she's gonna stay in the US while he trial lasts.. zomg!

[zyggy 9]

As in any immigration case, the devil is in the details and the details here are sorely lacking... There could be many details that would cause one to make a completely different judgement... That's the danger with the press.. they can easily determine which facts and details to show to get a desired result...