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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A North Texas woman reportedly received a letter notifying her that her late husband's immigration application had been approved, after he was killed in a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas.
The letter, dated December 9, was addressed to Miguel Garcia and informed him that he was authorized to move forward with obtaining legal status in the United States, according to NBC News.
Newsweek has contacted the family and immigration benefits agency U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for comment.
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The Context
Garcia, a 31-year-old Mexican national who lived in the Dallas area, was detained after an August arrest on a driving while intoxicated charge. In late September, while he was being processed at the Dallas ICE field office, a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop in what federal authorities described as a sniper attack targeting ICE agents. Garcia and one other detainee were killed, and the suspected shooter died by suicide at the scene.
What To Know
Stephany Gauffeny, Garcia’s widow, told NBC News that the letter brought renewed grief as she continues to raise the couple’s children. She described opening the approval notice as emotional, saying she was unaware it was coming and cried upon seeing the letter.
"It was under his name, and I had no idea what it was, opened it and instantly started crying because the first thing you see is, 'You’ve been approved,’" Gauffeny said.
The couple had been waiting for years for progress on his immigration case with hopes it would lead to stability and protection from deportation, according to NBC News.
The approval notice would have allowed Garcia to move forward with seeking a visa or lawful permanent residency, a step the couple believed would let them live without the threat of deportation.
Garcia’s widow gave birth to their fifth child after his death, according to NBC News.
Gauffeny questioned why U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued the approval after Garcia’s death and highlighted the pain of receiving it during the holiday season.
"It’s right before Christmas time, and it’s hurtful because if he would have been here, it would have been the total opposite," Gauffeny said. "It would have been a moment of happiness."
A senior Department of Homeland Security official previously told Newsweek that Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico with a criminal record that included convictions for providing false information, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated, and fleeing law enforcement.
What People Are Saying
Stephany Gauffeny told NBC News: "Everything’s a reminder. The baby’s a reminder."
"The grief is always going to be there. It’s never going to be the same as it was."
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