IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 492 

Expressing concern for the separation of Jose ́ Escobar from his wife and 

children as a result of his deportation, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 28, 2017 

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. BASS, Mr. 

GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. CLARKE of New 

York, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. EVANS, Ms. FUDGE, 

Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LEE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 

Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. 

SOTO, Mr. CORREA, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. 

GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS, and Mr. CASTRO of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing concern for the separation of Jose ́ Escobar from 

his wife and children as a result of his deportation, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas Jose ́ Escobar, a 31-year-old undocumented 

Houstonian, husband, and father of two children, was arrested and deported on March 7, 2017, when he went to 

Federal offices in Houston, Texas, to provide immigration officials with an annual update on his work status; 


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•HRES 492 IH 

Whereas, in January 2001, Jose ́ Escobar entered the United 

States without inspection; 

Whereas, on January 13 and February 13 of 2001, El Salvador was devastated by two major earthquakes that resulted in the displacement of an estimated 1.3 million 

persons from El Salvador’s population of 6.2 million; 

Whereas, on March 9, 2001, Temporary Protected Status 

was designated for Salvadorans in the United States as 

of February 13, 2001, through March 9, 2001; 

Whereas, on May 31, 2001, Jose ́ Escobar registered for Temporary Protected Status (TPS); 

Whereas, on March 17, 2004, Jose ́ Escobar’s Renewal of 

Temporary Protected Status was denied because of a 

misunderstanding about the date of a biometric appointment; 

Whereas, on December 12, 2005, a Notice to Appear was 

issued, placing Jose ́ Escobar into removal proceedings; 

Whereas, on January 25, 2006, Jose ́ Escobar appeared pro 

se for his scheduled immigration hearing, at which time 

he requested and was granted a continuance to seek legal 

counsel; 

Whereas, on February 23, 2006, an immigration judge issued 

an in absentia removal order as Jose ́ Escobar did not appear at his immigration hearing; 

Whereas, on November 9, 2009, Walter Ernesto Escobar, 

was born in Houston, Texas, to parents Jose ́ and Rose 

Escobar; 

Whereas, on June 6, 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Jose ́ Escobar; 


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•HRES 492 IH 

Whereas, on June 29, 2011, a lawyer acting on behalf of 

Jose ́ Escobar filed a Motion to Reopen his removal case, 

alleging prior ineffective assistance of counsel; 

Whereas, on July 13, 2011, Rose Ascencio-Escobar, a United 

States citizen and Jose ́ Escobar’s wife, filed Form I–130, 

a Petition for Alien Relative, to immigrate her husband 

to the United States; 

Whereas, on August 8, 2011, Jose ́ Escobar’s Motion to Reopen his case was denied and thereafter appealed to the 

Board of Immigration Appeals; 

Whereas, on October 28, 2011, the Board of Immigration 

Appeals affirmed the denial of Jose ́ Escobar’s appeal to 

have his case reopened; 

Whereas, on January 10, 2012, Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement released Jose ́ Escobar from custody and 

placed him under an Order of Supervision, with requirements to report regularly; 

Whereas, on May 17, 2012, the Petition for Alien Relative, 

Form I–130, was approved; however, no visa was granted; 

Whereas, on November 30, 2012, Jose ́ Escobar filed an Application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 

(DACA), which was denied on December 3, 2012; 

Whereas, on December 13, 2012, Jose ́ Escobar filed an Application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 

(DACA), which was denied on September 17, 2014; 

Whereas, on November 5, 2014, Carmen Marie Escobar was 

born in Houston, Texas, to Jose ́ and Rose Escobar; 


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•HRES 492 IH 

Whereas, from 2012 through 2017, pursuant to his Order of 

Supervision, Jose ́ Escobar appeared at Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement for all scheduled appointments; 

Whereas, on February 22, 2017, Jose ́ Escobar appeared at 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a scheduled 

appointment and was detained in the presence of his wife 

and two-year-old daughter; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2017, an attorney for Jose ́ Escobar 

filed a Stay of Deportation; 

Whereas, on March 7, 2017, Jose ́ Escobar was physically removed to El Salvador, separating him from his wife and 

two children, while his Request for Stay of Deportation 

remained pending; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2017, an attorney for Jose ́ Escobar, 

filed a Motion to Reopen his case; and 

Whereas Jose ́ Escobar, saving a prior minor traffic offense 

for speeding, has no prior criminal record: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses its ongoing concern for the human 

3 tragedy resulting from the deportation of Jose ́

4 Escobar to El Salvador and his separation from his 

5 wife and two children; 

6 (2) encourages the Department of Homeland 

7 Security as well as the Department of Justice to 

8 jointly investigate and consider all reasonable expla9 nations and solutions to reunite Jose ́ Escobar with 

10 his family; and 


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•HRES 492 IH 

1 (3) encourages the Trump administration and 

2 Congress to work together to pass comprehensive 

3 immigration reform to prevent the inhumane depor4 tation and tragic separation of families. 

Æ 


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