We are asking our elected officials and the appropriate immigration authorities to review the case of Heriberto “Eddie” Reyes-Ochoa and consider his release so that he can return home to his family while his immigration case moves forward.

Eddie has called the United States home since he was a teenager. He came here at approximately 14 or 15 years old and built his life from the ground up. He worked, built a career, became a homeowner, paid taxes, and created a family and a life here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

For approximately 12 years, Eddie has been married to his wife, Catherine, a United States citizen. Catherine is currently five months pregnant with their first child.

Eddie and Catherine have also been actively pursuing a legal pathway toward permanent residency. His I-130 Petition for Alien Relative and I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver have been approved, his DS-260 immigrant visa application has been submitted, and their family has been working through the immigration process toward the required consular interview.

On August 21, Eddie was involved in a traffic accident while traveling to work. He was taken into local custody for traffic-related charges and subsequently transferred into ICE custody. He is currently being held at the Adams County correctional facility in Natchez Mississippi, separated from his pregnant wife, his family, his home, and the community that knows and loves him.

We understand and respect the importance of secure borders and an orderly immigration system. But we also believe enforcement should recognize individual circumstances, family unity, and the efforts of families who have been actively working through the immigration process.

This is bigger than politics.

Families should not have to choose a political party before believing that husbands should be with their wives, fathers should be present for their children, and every person’s individual circumstances deserve to be fairly considered.

We are asking for:

A prompt and individualized review of Eddie’s case and immigration history.
Consideration of his release from ICE detention while his immigration proceedings continue.
Full consideration of the immigration process Eddie and Catherine have already pursued and the approvals they have already received.
Compassionate consideration of the impact continued detention and family separation are having on his pregnant wife and their unborn child.
Our country can value secure borders while also valuing the nuclear family. Those principles do not have to compete with one another.

We are asking Americans of every political background to stand together and say that families matter.

Please sign this petition, share Eddie’s story, and ask our elected officials and immigration authorities to review his case.

Every signature represents another person saying:

Keep this family together. Give Eddie’s case the individual consideration it deserves.

For Eddie.
For Catherine.
For their unborn child.
And for the families who may find themselves fighting this same fight tomorrow.