March 8 was a fateful day for Matías 'Maty' Muy, a 42-year-old Guatemalan woman. An appointment to renew her work permit ended with her husband in detention and her with an electronic ankle monitor. But the woman decided she had to keep fighting for her 13-year-old son Jimmy. Crédito: C.J. Karp
Maty's Jupiter, Florida shop is called "Tikal Tires," in reference to the Mayan ruins in their native Guatemala. The family has lived in Jupiter for a decade. They opened the shop four years ago with savings they'd earned after years of working double shifts at different jobs in the U.S. Crédito: C.J. Karp
Maty came to the U.S. in 2003. She was the youngest of 12 siblings and wanted to seek better economic opportunities and help her family. Her husband, Victor Chavez, who is now 40, arrived years before, in the early 1990s, fleeing from the violence of the war in Guatemala. The army had killed Victor's father and other relatives. In the photo, Maty shows a photo of her with her husband Victor and son Jimmy. Crédito: C.J.Karp
Although Chavez has death records that show the army killed several members of his family during the war, he never sought asylum. He arrived when he was 14 and went to work in the fields of Immokalee (Florida) picking tomatoes and cucumbers. He then went to a chicken processing plant in Ohio. In the picture, Jimmy helps a customer at the shop. Crédito: C.J.Karp
In Ohio, Víctor Chávez had his first encounter with immigration authorities. Although he was not detained then because he was a minor, the authorities took his information. According to his lawyer, Héctor Díaz, Chavez had to appear before an immigration court but he did not speak English or Spanish at the time, just a Mayan dialect. Frightened, he returned to Immokalee and missed his court appearance. So a deportation order was issued in absentia. Crédito: C.J.Karp
Although a doctor had told Maty she wouldn't be able to have children, she became pregnant after only a few months. Jimmy was born in 2003. "Victor is a very responsible father. He loves his son. From the moment he saw Jimmy, his life was changed. He said: 'I'm going to dedicate myself to him,' and he's what he's done until now," Maty says. Crédito: C.J. Karp
The couple didn't understand their immigration situation until a few years ago, after they'd settled in Jupiter, when they went to consult with attorneys about Jimmy's future. Under the Obama administration, a lawyer obtained work permits for the couple. But those documents have now lost their validity. Crédito: C.J. Karp
Maty often takes advantage of Victor's calls to seek advice on the workshop. "When he calls me, he says, 'Maty do this, do that thing.' Then he guides me in everything. He says, 'You can do it, you are a strong woman.' And that encourages me. Even though he's there, he influences my decisions," she says. Crédito: C.J. Karp
