Sunday, November 15, 2009
ICE ain't nice
Not by a long shot. Regardless of how he may have begun, 13 years of service in the war on drugs should have gained Ernesto Gamboa some reward. Not if you ask ICE.
Gamboa, who entered the U.S. in 1992 and overstayed a visitor's visa, says he may decide early next year to give up and return home.The degree of ingratitude involved here is appalling and somebody should lose their head for it. Instead Ernesto will probably end up returning to El Salvador where some drug gang will probably find him and kill him, with the grateful appreciation of ICE for removing their embarrassment.
Under the supervision of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Gamboa began working as an informant with local law-enforcement agencies in the mid-1990s.
His work on major national and international drug investigations helped to win more than 90 federal convictions and led to seizure of money, weapons, vehicles and drugs, including more than 282 pounds of cocaine.
He parted ways with ICE near the end of a major drug investigation in May, when he said he was threatened with deportation after telling an agent he was broke and wanted to take a regular paying job on top of his informant work.
ICE soon arrested and detained Gamboa and moved ahead with plans to deport him. But under mounting pressure from other agencies, it released him after six weeks.
Now, Gamboa's status is not unlike that of millions of illegal immigrants nationwide — unable to find legitimate work or to travel — and with no obviously viable way to make it right. "I'm out and everybody's turned their backs," he said.
"It's really frustrating that after all these years they close the door and say, 'Forget about him.' "
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