ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Apopka family was forced apart after both parents were detained. Now, their kids are begging officials to bring them back.

What You Need To Know

  • Beverly Juarez, a 21-year-old from Apopka, says her father was deported to Guatemala

  • Her mother was detained and is set to face deportation too

  • Her parents were in the process of obtaining a U visa, given to victims of crimes 

  • Beverly is seeking legal help to get her parents back in the country they've lived in for more than 20 years

Beverly Juarez, 21, says her parents came to the United States illegally more than 20 years ago.

Beverly says her father, Esvin Juarez, was a victim of a crime assault in 2021. The couple was granted another year by the ICE office in Orlando to get a U visa, which is given to victims of crimes who can help law enforcement.

She says her parents acquired a Bona Fide Determination on their U visa application and under that determination, they get deferred action. They can defer their deportation, but it is under the officer’s discretion.

When Juarez went to the immigration office for a check-in last month, he disappeared for several days and was deported to Guatemala. Beverly says the officer could have given her father extra time for the visa to come in, but they did not.

“When I found out he was detained, I was devastated,” said Beverly. “I was devastated and I was shocked because, like I said, my parents have worked very hard.”

Beverly is the oldest of four kids, all born in the U.S. She says her father has a business, owns a home, and has never done anything wrong.

Dozens stood alongside her outside the ICE building Friday, chanting and expressing their disapproval with the deportations. The crowd included Orange County and state lawmakers.

“We are Americans, we are upholding the very fabric of our democracy,” said Democratic State Rep. Rita Harris of south Orange County. “The very fabric that this country is built on. You can’t just take people and detain them without giving them a legal process in which they can defend themselves.”

The crowd also chanted for Beverly’s mother, Rosmeri Miranda. She says her mother was detained and taken to the Orange County jail and is set to face deportation as well.

Beverly is working with an attorney to take her family’s case to court.

“They’ve gone through every process, every obstacle, and they’ve complied every time,” said Beverly. “So all we can do now is keep fighting for them.”