He fixed cars in Phoenix to provide for his family. Then ICE deported him.

An Arizona father who lived in the US for 25 years was detained by ICE this month and deported. His daughter, Michelle Ruiz, is now left to pick up the pieces.

It was a regular Monday morning for Arturo Ruiz. He left his home early on Aug. 4 and drove to his job fixing cars in Phoenix.

But things took a turn when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents pulled Ruiz over at 8 a.m. and detained him, according to his daughter, Michelle Ruiz.

At 10 a.m., Michelle answered a call from an unrecognized number.

“The moment I heard his voice, I knew something was wrong,” Michelle said.

Her father informed her he was being held at the ICE Field Office in Phoenix and that his car was left on the side of the road at 33rd Avenue and Indian School Road, where Michelle and her younger brother later picked it up. 

He was held at the field office for two days, according to Michelle. The field office is not designed for detention, but because of overflow at other facilities, her father was forced to rest on a concrete chair as he waited in fear of what would come next, Michelle said. 

He was then moved to the Florence Service Processing Center before being deported to Mexico this week. 

Now, Michelle and the rest of her family are scrambling to find him and pick up the pieces of their lives. 

An American life

Ruiz was born and grew up in Mexico. But at 18 years old, he decided it was time to leave Sonora, a state in northwest Mexico on the border, for a better life for himself and his family. Once he and his partner came to the US, they had three children, including Michelle.

To make ends meet, Ruiz began working as a mechanic in Phoenix. Eventually, he and his wife split, and Ruiz became a single father. It was difficult, but he was determined to build a better life for his kids than the one he had in Mexico.

“Ever since we were young, my dad was the type of dad to make sure that we were in sports, that we were part of the community,” Michelle said. 

Between working as a mechanic and raising three children on his own, he also focused on learning English to better integrate himself and his family into the US. Eventually, he decided to get involved in the community by becoming a Little League baseball coach. 

He was American in every way but one — the paperwork.

Despite the hardships that come with being undocumented in the US, Ruiz taught his children the value of giving back to the community. It’s what led Michelle to volunteer with Puente Arizona, an immigration advocacy group, when she was in high school.

Today, she works full time for Puente Arizona as the youth coordinator. She regularly helps Arizonans prepare in case ICE shows up and encourages families to have a “family preparedness plan,” which includes relevant documents and steps to take in the event of a loved one being detained.

Michelle became so focused on helping other Arizona families that she was unable to make a plan for her own. 

“It has been difficult for me just wanting to eat, wanting to sleep, because I know my dad is probably not doing that,” said Michelle. “It’s just very difficult. It’s very hard trying to take care of myself while being the only girl in the family and trying to be the strong one for my brothers and my dad.”

All three of Ruiz’s children, along with his two grandchildren, are US citizens. His children grew up in Phoenix, and they worry what will happen to their family now that he’s been deported to Mexico.

“He’s been part of the community for so long that he had the hope that one day, policies will change, that we’d [be] able to to fix his status. But it never got to the point,” Michelle said.

Ruiz has no criminal record aside from a charge of illegal reentry. He was caught the first time he attempted to enter the US and was later charged with illegal reentry. Because of this offense, he was ineligible for an adjustment of status.

A family separated 

Michelle was able to see and talk to her father on Aug. 7 through a glass window with a telephone that was barely audible, she said. She described him as looking worried, but trying to maintain composure so as not to scare her and her younger brother. They were only able to speak to one another for about 30 minutes. 

Ruiz had a court date on Aug. 12, and by Aug. 15, he’d been deported to Mexico. 

Michelle worries about how the family will move forward. Her father is the primary provider and also financially supports his older son, who lives in Missouri and has two kids. 

“His grandchildren are not going to be able to see him because of the distance, because of finances,” she said. “He’s never going to see the day I get married, I have babies. He’s going to have to see that through video calls or when we’re able to go visit him.”

The family set up a GoFundMe to help pay the cost of legal expenses. Michelle said whatever money they have left over will go towards helping other families fight deportation.