Congressman Lowenthal and Coalition of Allies Call On DHS and President To Reunite Alvarez Family

Press Release

Congressman Alan Lowenthal today joined U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jorge Alvarez and a coalition of Members of Congress, religious leaders, and civil rights activists in calling on the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and President Barack Obama to grant humanitarian parole for Jorge's recently deported father, Jose Alvarez.

In a case that has garnered national attention, Mr. Alvarez was deported in February after being pulled over for a broken headlight by California State University, Long Beach police. He was deported within seven hours because of a 21-year-old non-violent drug conviction. The deportation has torn apart the Alvarez family and deprived his wife and six children, who are all U.S. citizens, of Mr. Alvarez's income that supported the family.

"Nobody should be in the position that this family is in, after all they have given for this country" Congressman Lowenthal stated " It's not just Jose, it's all the other people like him who have contributed to the United States, who are denied the ability to argue their case. This illustrates a broken system. Mr. Alvarez has been contributing to this society. That is what the American way is all about."

Congressman Lowenthal was joined at a Thursday press conference to discuss steps to address the Jose Alvarez case by Jorge Alvarez, Bishop Dwayne D. Royster of the Higher Ground Christian Fellowship International, and representatives of the PICO National Network, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization, and the Long Beach Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

"I served for seven years because I believe in the promises made to so many families like my own," Jorge Alvarez said of his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. "But today, my family is devastated because of an outdated policy that scapegoats people with convictions. Mr. President, I respectfully ask you to make things right for my family, for my father, who raised a proud U.S. Marine Corps Veteran. Lastly, I want to thank my Congressman, Rep. Lowenthal, and the many Members of Congress that have joined my family in calling on President Obama and Secretary Jeh Johnson to take action and reunite my family."

In addition, Congressman Lowenthal has sent a letter--co-signed by 11 Members of Congress--to the DHS Secretary calling on the DHS to amend its policy on parole-in-place for military families, such as the Alvarez family, to make clear that a nonviolent criminal conviction is not a complete bar to eligibility. In 2013 the Obama Administration issued an executive order that would spare military service members and their immediate relatives from deportation. The letter also requests that DHS takes the necessary steps to ensure that both active members of the military and veterans are properly informed about the policy and allow Jose Alvarez to return home to his family by granting his pending application for humanitarian parole.

"Policy decisions that involve keeping families together should not be seen as black-and-white but as one of many factors to be weighed in considering an applicant's petition for parole-in-place," Congressman Lowenthal said. "This is especially true for family members of our service members who already face disproportionate stress in service to our country. We should not add any undue stress on our service members by tearing their families apart.

Congressman Lowenthal believes that granting Mr. Alvarez's application would serve the humanitarian and public interest in reunifying this family; while changes to the current DHS policy would ensure other families in similar situations do not experience the same suffering that the Alvarez family has had to endure.

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