LA man speaks out after wife, child detained during immigration check-in

Dad fights to get detained wife, daughter back

Roberto Gutierrez discusses his desperate fight to bring his detained wife and the couple's 9-year-old daughter back to the United States. The two are currently in El Salvador, the dad tells FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff.

LOS ANGELES - Immigration enforcement operations seem to be ramping up across Los Angeles despite recent protests.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump doubled down and called on deportation efforts to expand across America’s largest cities, like Los Angeles.

"We’re a great nation because we’re a nation of immigrants," said California State Senator Tony Strickland. "I want legal immigration. I think it’s a national security issue."

Throughout the last couple of weeks, FOX 11 has witnessed ICE agents arrest non-U.S. citizens who have a criminal history. While we’ve also seen non-U.S. citizens apprehended by ICE without violent criminal backgrounds.

Woman, child detained during immigration check-in 

What they're saying:

"I can only imagine If I’m going through this, there’s a lot of other families [too]," said Roberto Gutierrez.

Gutierrez’s wife and her 9-year-old daughter are from El Salvador. They sought asylum status but were denied. However, Gutierrez and the couple’s 16-month-old baby are both U.S. citizens.

According to Gutierrez, his wife and 9-year-old daughter went to the federal building on June 4th for an immigration check-in but were apprehended by ICE and flown to Texas for possible deportation.

"Being separated, it’s heartbreaking," said Gutierrez. "I don’t like this feeling."

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Gutierrez says his wife and her 9-year-old daughter have been detained in Texas for nearly two weeks.

"If it has to do with criminals and stuff like that, I understand," said Gutierrez. "They had their chance, and they messed up. If it’s somebody that’s doing their check-ins, they’re reporting to immigration, they should have a chance to have a better life on this side."

Gutierrez says they’re going to continue with a family petition, but that process could take more than two years. 

"Now, they didn’t give us much of an option," said Gutierrez. "If she gets deported. We’re going to continue with the family petition. So, I mean my baby is not going to be able to be with her mom, but instead just visit time from time. At the end of the day, she needs to be with her mom."

Sen. Strickland blames occurrence in California on sanctuary policy 

The other side:

"First of all, they should self-deport," said Sen. Strickland. "They shouldn’t come here illegally because they violated our federal immigration laws."

Sen. Strickland attributes what’s occurring in California to the state’s sanctuary policy, SB54, which prevents local law enforcement agencies from working with federal authorities to carry out immigration laws, including in jails.

"Had there not been Senate Bill 54, I think this would have been a far easier process where the federal government works with the state and local communities and law enforcement to make sure they identify the specific people that commit those crimes," said Strickland. "And make sure they’re out of the country to make our cities safer."