SEATTLE (AP) — Ramón Rodriguez Vazquez was a farmworker for 16 years in southeast Washington state, where he and his wife of 40 years raised four children and 10 grandchildren. The 62-year-old was a part of a tight-knit community and never committed a crime.
On Feb. 5, immigration officers who came to his house looking for someone else took him into custody. He was denied bond, despite letters of support from friends, family, his employer and a physician who said the family needed him.
He was sent to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Washington, where his health rapidly declined in part because he was not always provided with his prescription medication for several medical conditions, including high blood pressure. Then there was the emotional toll of being unable to care for his family or sick granddaughter. Overwhelmed by it all, he finally gave up.
At an appearance with an immigration judge, he asked to leave without a formal deportation mark on his record. The judge granted his request and he moved back to Mexico, alone. His case is an exemplar of the impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to deport millions of migrants on an accelerated timetable, casting aside years of procedure and legal process in favor of expedient results.
“He was the head of the house, everything — the one who took care of everything,” said Gloria Guizar, 58, Rodriguez’s wife. “Being separated from the family has been so hard. Even though our kids are grown, and we’ve got grandkids, everybody misses him.” Leaving the country was unthinkable before he was held in a jail cell. The deportation process broke him.
‘Self deport or we will deport you’
It is impossible to know how many people left the U.S. voluntarily since President Donald Trump took office in January because many leave without telling authorities. But Trump and his allies are counting on “self-deportation,” the idea that life can be made unbearable enough to make people leave voluntarily.
The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review reported that judges granted “voluntary departure” in 15,241 cases in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, which is a significant increase from previous years.
ICE reported that it carried out 319,980 deportations from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 20. Customs and Border Protection declined to disclose its number. Secretary Kristi Noem stated that 1.6 million people have left the country voluntarily or involuntarily since Trump took office, a claim contested by some experts.
The administration is incentivizing voluntary departures by offering $1,000 to those using the CBP Home app. The looming threat for others remains the possibility of being sent to third countries, including Eswatini, Rwanda, or Uganda.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the voluntary departures demonstrate the administration’s strategy is effective in removing those perceived as threats to safety.
“They treat her like a criminal”
A Colombian woman abandoned her asylum claim in a Seattle immigration court, highlighting how individuals feel criminalized by the system. Her U.S. citizen girlfriend expressed her disdain for a country that treats people this way.
“His absence has been deeply felt”
Ramón Rodriguez arrived in the U.S. in 2009 and quickly became an integral part of his community. His work earned him respect and a solid income. However, his deportation left a significant void for his family, particularly for his granddaughter, who relies on him for transportation to critical medical appointments.
Despite efforts to appeal his detention, he remained locked away and ultimately became a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit addressing detained immigrants’ right to request bond, which was later deemed unlawful. Unfortunately, he was already gone before the ruling could impact him.
