<p>The Felipe Montero case in North Carolina brings back memories of le affair Elian Gonzalez in that U.S. authorities must weigh the circumstances of reuniting three U.S.-born toddlers with a relatively impoverished father in Mexico, or allowing a foster family to keep, care and provide for the children in a financially stable environment in rural North Carolina.</p>
<p>During the Gonzalez case, some folks in the Cuban American community insisted that returning the boy to his father in Cuba would sentence the son to a depressing life in a communist dictatorship. In the Montero matter, after I.C.E. deported him back home, he has resumed a life of catch-as-one-can doing day labor, when it’s available. Montero lives in a home that doesn’t have the amenities of a modest house in the U.S. Montero says he wants his children. Does our government have the moral authority to assign the kids to an American family?</p>
<p>Complicating the case is the fact that while he lived in North Carolina, Montero’s family situation was clearly disfunctional. His wife, an Anglo, has a record of criminal infractions and 4 other young children whom were taken away by the state prior to her marriage to Montero. Clearly, she could barely care for herself, let alone for her sons by Montero, including a baby born after the deportation. The news story indicates that neither of these folks were prepared to provide for children.</p>
<p>Gonzalez was not a US citizen. These children, born in the U.S., are U.S. citizens. That is the big difference between the 2 cases. It is not clear what would be best for the children. I read about this case, since I am in NC, but not in that county so I have no information about the case. I wish the father had not been deported since he was the primary caretaker. I think some folks need to make a trip to Mexico to find out if Dad can provide a safe home for the kids there.</p>
<p>I don’t have an answer for the situation at hand, but this jumped out at me. If he is illegal, get rid of him. The kids, being US citizens, are legally entitled to stay in this country (right or wrong) but he does not. Should a parent not be punished by a prison term if they are the primary caretaker?</p>
<p>They should be raised by their father if he wants them. They should not be denied a loving parent unless the father has done something that qualifies him as an unfit parent. Otherwise, he has every right to raise his children. He and their mother could have taken them to Mexico and decided to raise them there before he was deported, and no one would have stopped them.</p>
<p>I wish he had gotten in line with the rest of the people wanting to enter the country legally. We have 310 million people in this country. We don’t need another illegal crying that he misses his kids when he is solely responsible for his predicament.</p>
<p>If you google the dad’s name, numerous articles pop up, all of which indicate that both mom and dad want the kids to be with dad. It’s the state of nc/feds that are precluding his kids to traveling to be with him.</p>
<p>Child Protective Services should use the same standards as they would with any other family. Mom has already lost kids to the system. Does Dad have a home? Can he provide a safe environment? </p>
<p>I haven’t read about this case so I offer no opinion.</p>
<p>He is poor, he was convicted of traffic violations and deported.
His kids are now in separate homes, it will cost thousands of dollars to care for them & if north Carolina’s foster care system isn’t any better than washingtons, they would be better off with their father in Mexico, even if they are poor.</p>