Only in America? An Immigrant Nightmare

CNN (here for a video) reports on the story of Pedro Zapeta, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, lived for 11 years his version of the American dream in Stuart, Florida: washing dishes and living frugally to bring money back to his home country. Two years ago, Zapeta was ready to return to Guatemala, so he carried a duffel bag filled with $59,000 — all the cash he had scrimped and saved over the years — to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. But when Zapeta tried to go through airport security, an officer spotted the money in the bag and called U.S. customs officials. U.S. Customs seized his money.  Zapeta, who does not speak English, said he didn’t know he was running afoul of U.S. law by failing to declare he was carrying more than $10,000 with him. Officials initially accused Zapeta of being a courier for the drug trade, but they dropped the allegation once he produced pay stubs from restaurants where he had worked. Zapeta earned $5.50 an hour at most of the places where he washed dishes. When he learned to do more, he got a 25-cent raise. After customs officials seized the money, they turned Zapeta over to the federal immigration authorities, which began deportation proceedings. For two years, Zapeta has had two attorneys working pro bono: one on his immigration case, the other trying to get his money back.

Zapeta’s story became public last year on CNN and in The Palm Beach Post newspaper, prompting well-wishers to give him nearly $10,000 — money that now sits in a trust. Robert Gershman,one of Zapeta’s attorneys, said federal prosecutors later offered his client a deal: He could take $10,000 of the original cash seized, plus $9,000 in donations as long as he didn’t talk publicly and left the country immediately. Zapeta said, “No.” He wanted all his money. He’d earned it, he said. Now, according to Gershman, the Internal Revenue Service wants access to the donated cash to cover taxes on the donations and on the money Zapeta made as a dishwasher. Zapeta admits he never paid taxes. Last week, Zapeta went to immigration court and got more bad news. The judge gave him until the end of January to leave the country on his own. He’s unlikely to see a penny of his money.

Zapeta said his goal in coming to the United States was to make enough money to buy land in his mountain village and build a home for his mother and sisters. He planned to bring it all home at once.

KJ