Family fights as Elkhart man faces deportation

Elkhart resident Amber Flores is fighting to keep her family together.

"That's all I want is for us to be given a chance...but l"I can't do this alone... with the three babies," Flores said.

The desperate tears of a wife and mother, in love with a man who could soon be deported to Mexico.

"He's a great father. He bathes them every night. He tucks them in every night. He's the first one to baby them," she added.

Her husband Pedro is in jail after being picked up by immigration officials last week. He was in the process of getting legal citizenship, after eight years of working and living in the U.S.

The problem -- is that in 2010 - Pedro tried to illegally enter this country, and according to his lawyer, he didn't know there was something created against him in the U.S.

"President Trump campaigned on 'getting rid of the bad guys'. By anyone's definition of 'bad guy' - Pedro Flores is not a bad guy...he got caught by the border patrol and given a deportation order on the spot. No judge. No judicial process," attorney Jason Flora said.

Flora says this order - called an "expedited removal" is usually a lifetime ban.

"After 10 years they can apply for a waiver and then Pedro can return to the States as a lawful resident," he added.

Pedro has no criminal record in the U.S. or in Mexico.

At this point - Amber has already decided to sell the family's things, buy passports for her and the children for a possible move to Mexico.

"Just the process of selling everything and not having anything to... we don't even know how we're going to get it down there," Flores said.

Their attorney says he's seen people return to the U.S. after the 10 years, but says life outside the country will be different.

"They won't have the same privileges, health insurance benefits or things like that - that they could be offered here - or the same educational opportunities," Flora said.

"We have so many memories in this house of bringing home every... of the babies, getting married and talking of our future and planning and now it's just gone," Flores added.

Amber did contact the office of both Indiana Senators Todd Young and Joe Donnelly. She's not yet heard back from Young.

Donnelly's team said they could not help, writing in part - "Our office is limited in what we can do due to the legal nature of the matter. We recommend that you continue to work with your attorney during this situation."

The family's lawyers also filed an I-246 form with ICE, one of the last steps in hopes of vacating Pedro's deportation orders.

ICE officials in Chicago tell NewsCenter 16 that they are looking into the matter.

UPDATE (3/6/18):

- Sen. Young's office tells us they did speak with Amber and asked her to send over more documentation.

- ICE officials tell us their officers arrested Pedro Flores-Cervantes on Feb. 27, 2018, deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Pedro Flores-Cervantes in Elkhart during a two-day operation targeting immigration and criminal fugitives and reinstated his prior removal order. He remains in ICE custody.