Bring Ricardo Home
Dear Family and Friends,
If you are reading this you are likely aware of the situation with our daughter and son-in-law, Haley and Ricardo. However, a brief recap may be appropriate.
In the early 2000s Ricardo’s parents moved from Mexico to the United States. For a number of years they settled into life in Rochester, Minnesota. Sometime after Ricardo graduated from high school his parents returned to Mexico. Having lived much of his childhood and youth in the US, Ricardo decided to stay in the States and create a life for himself here. Due to his circumstances he qualified for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) which provided him a work permit, driver's license, and legal status in the US. During this time he became a real estate agent and began to make a name for himself. However, he also made a series of foolish decisions which put his DACA status in question.
By the time Ricardo was 26 years old he had met and fallen in love with Haley. They were planning to be married in the spring of 2018. However, all of this changed when he was picked up by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in November of 2017. For one month he was in a holding facility in Albert Lea, Minnesota and was allowed no visitors, including Haley and his 6 year old son, Yandel. As an ordained minister, I was allowed to see him a couple of times.
On December 12, 2017, we went to the courthouse at Ft. Snelling in Minneapolis for Ricardo’s final hearing to determine if he would be deported to Mexico. Before the hearing Ricardo and Haley were allowed to see each other for the first time in over a month. We were allowed to use a small office in the courthouse where I performed a small ceremony and joined Haley and Ricardo in holy matrimony. It was a sweet day. Two hours later, Ricardo received word: he was going to Mexico. On December 19, he and many other men were taken to Laredo, TX and driven across the US/Mexico border. Ricardo made his way to his parents’ home in Mexico City where Haley joined him about two weeks later. They have since relocated to Puerto Vallarta.
After they were married, Haley filed a petition for Ricardo to receive a Green Card so that he can move back to the US with legal status. According to their lawyer there are a few steps in the process to receive a Green Card. First, Haley will have an interview at a courthouse in Minneapolis. Sometime in the following six months or so Ricardo will need to appear for an interview in Juarez, Mexico. At this time the request for a Green Card is typically denied. Now, Haley can file another petition for a Green Card based on the fact that Ricardo's absence from the US is a hardship for her. This step takes another six to nine months. This petition is typically granted.
Recently, Haley received word that her interview is scheduled for December 6. Gratefully, she was already planning to be in the States. We have been praying that the Lord will show favor on Ricardo and cause the judge to grant a Green Card at this appearance. If this doesn’t happen we acknowledge and embrace the Lord’s Sovereignty and believe He has more to teach Haley and Ricardo through this journey.
I am writing first of all to ask you to pray with us. God is able and can “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).
My second request is to ask you to consider helping Haley and Ricardo with a financial gift. Haley continues to work with Praying Pelican Missions from Puerto Vallarta. Ricardo has consistently sought work but has found nothing that provides income on a regular basis. Though he has some interviews scheduled with a couple of real estate companies, his employment future is still unknown. They have some savings but have had to dip into it to pay their living expenses. Each time they they have an appearance or interview before the court they have to pay their lawyer $2,500. Currently this is an insurmountable amount for them. They are trusting that the Lord will provide.
I realize that their situation may bring a lot of questions. I admit that my understanding of the US immigration process was very limited before our family was personally affected by it. In no way am I justifying the choices that have brought Ricardo to this point in his life. However, I am now walking along with him in this process and believe that God has done much to change his heart and is molding him into a man of God. If you have questions about Haley and Ricardo or would like to know more details about their journey feel free to ask.
There are two ways you can contribute to Ricardo and Haley. First, you can use this Go Fund Me page and follow the links. Any money that comes in through this page will be used help cover their expenses. This would NOT be a tax-deductible gift. The other option would be to give a one-time gift to Haley using her Praying Pelican account. This option would be tax-deductible and the details of how to donate are below.
Thank you for listening (reading) our story. If you are uncomfortable donating to this cause, I understand. If you have questions, again, feel free to contact me. Above all, please, be praying for Haley and Ricardo as they continue this journey.
Living by Faith,
Kelly Reynolds
Donating to Praying Pelican
Go to www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/donate
Scroll through the page to find the “select a staffer” dropdown box
Find Haley Sanchez and follow the prompts
If you are reading this you are likely aware of the situation with our daughter and son-in-law, Haley and Ricardo. However, a brief recap may be appropriate.
In the early 2000s Ricardo’s parents moved from Mexico to the United States. For a number of years they settled into life in Rochester, Minnesota. Sometime after Ricardo graduated from high school his parents returned to Mexico. Having lived much of his childhood and youth in the US, Ricardo decided to stay in the States and create a life for himself here. Due to his circumstances he qualified for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) which provided him a work permit, driver's license, and legal status in the US. During this time he became a real estate agent and began to make a name for himself. However, he also made a series of foolish decisions which put his DACA status in question.
By the time Ricardo was 26 years old he had met and fallen in love with Haley. They were planning to be married in the spring of 2018. However, all of this changed when he was picked up by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in November of 2017. For one month he was in a holding facility in Albert Lea, Minnesota and was allowed no visitors, including Haley and his 6 year old son, Yandel. As an ordained minister, I was allowed to see him a couple of times.
On December 12, 2017, we went to the courthouse at Ft. Snelling in Minneapolis for Ricardo’s final hearing to determine if he would be deported to Mexico. Before the hearing Ricardo and Haley were allowed to see each other for the first time in over a month. We were allowed to use a small office in the courthouse where I performed a small ceremony and joined Haley and Ricardo in holy matrimony. It was a sweet day. Two hours later, Ricardo received word: he was going to Mexico. On December 19, he and many other men were taken to Laredo, TX and driven across the US/Mexico border. Ricardo made his way to his parents’ home in Mexico City where Haley joined him about two weeks later. They have since relocated to Puerto Vallarta.
After they were married, Haley filed a petition for Ricardo to receive a Green Card so that he can move back to the US with legal status. According to their lawyer there are a few steps in the process to receive a Green Card. First, Haley will have an interview at a courthouse in Minneapolis. Sometime in the following six months or so Ricardo will need to appear for an interview in Juarez, Mexico. At this time the request for a Green Card is typically denied. Now, Haley can file another petition for a Green Card based on the fact that Ricardo's absence from the US is a hardship for her. This step takes another six to nine months. This petition is typically granted.
Recently, Haley received word that her interview is scheduled for December 6. Gratefully, she was already planning to be in the States. We have been praying that the Lord will show favor on Ricardo and cause the judge to grant a Green Card at this appearance. If this doesn’t happen we acknowledge and embrace the Lord’s Sovereignty and believe He has more to teach Haley and Ricardo through this journey.
I am writing first of all to ask you to pray with us. God is able and can “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).
My second request is to ask you to consider helping Haley and Ricardo with a financial gift. Haley continues to work with Praying Pelican Missions from Puerto Vallarta. Ricardo has consistently sought work but has found nothing that provides income on a regular basis. Though he has some interviews scheduled with a couple of real estate companies, his employment future is still unknown. They have some savings but have had to dip into it to pay their living expenses. Each time they they have an appearance or interview before the court they have to pay their lawyer $2,500. Currently this is an insurmountable amount for them. They are trusting that the Lord will provide.
I realize that their situation may bring a lot of questions. I admit that my understanding of the US immigration process was very limited before our family was personally affected by it. In no way am I justifying the choices that have brought Ricardo to this point in his life. However, I am now walking along with him in this process and believe that God has done much to change his heart and is molding him into a man of God. If you have questions about Haley and Ricardo or would like to know more details about their journey feel free to ask.
There are two ways you can contribute to Ricardo and Haley. First, you can use this Go Fund Me page and follow the links. Any money that comes in through this page will be used help cover their expenses. This would NOT be a tax-deductible gift. The other option would be to give a one-time gift to Haley using her Praying Pelican account. This option would be tax-deductible and the details of how to donate are below.
Thank you for listening (reading) our story. If you are uncomfortable donating to this cause, I understand. If you have questions, again, feel free to contact me. Above all, please, be praying for Haley and Ricardo as they continue this journey.
Living by Faith,
Kelly Reynolds
Donating to Praying Pelican
Go to www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/donate
Scroll through the page to find the “select a staffer” dropdown box
Find Haley Sanchez and follow the prompts
Organizer
KellyKristi Reynolds
Organizer
Rochester, MN