Pregnant Queens Mother Reunites With Her Children

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A pregnant Queens mom had a happy family reunion on Saturday after her unexpected return home from a Louisiana detention center.

Alma Santiago, 33, who managed to dodge a deportation to Guatemalea, was very emotional when some 18 friends and family welcomed him at La Guardia airport, with "Welcome home" signs adorned with hand-drawn hearts. Between tears and kisses, a video showed a balloon with the message "You are special" floating in the background.

"There are no words to describe it, it's just a dream come true," said family spokeswoman Jennifer Pacheco. "We were all nervous and anxious, like someone expecting to get married or have a baby."

Santiago met later on Saturday with members of his family, including his 3-year-old son Angel and 11-year-old Amy, for an early lunch at the Queens restaurant where he works. The family lives in Queens Village, and their two children are US citizens.

"With Alma at home, our hearts are full," said Pacheco, who noted her friend's voracious appetite after time behind bars.

Pacheco described the three months since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Alma on April 12 as “the nightmare that all immigrant families fear. During this difficult time, our priority has been the well-being of her children, who have terribly missed their mother.”

Santiago, who entered the United States in 2004 and received a deportation order after missing a San Antonio court appearance, was arrested by federal immigration agents outside the Queens Family Court. He was transferred to Louisiana last week because his deportation seemed imminent, but attorneys for the New York Legal Aid Group successfully fought to keep him in the United States.

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