Mexican family says they gave up American dream because of state law

Published: 2007-12-06

TULSA, Okla. (CNS) -- Sergio Garcia is a man who has taken a tremendous risk -- and lost. Garcia and his wife, Lola, are illegal immigrants from Mexico. Because of a new Oklahoma state law, they made the difficult decision to give up the dream they have worked toward for the past eight years and planned to return to their hometown Dec. 7. The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, which took effect Nov. 1, makes it a felony to knowingly harbor or transport an illegal alien and creates specific barriers to hiring illegal immigrants. It requires proof of citizenship to obtain certain government benefits and requires all state agencies and contractors to check the immigration status of all workers after July 1, 2008. The Garcias were leaving behind a house they bought and renovated; Sergio's job as a bricklayer; close family ties in Tulsa; and the beginnings of a better life in America. Their two children, Hector, 2, and Sergio, 5, both U.S. citizens by birth, were going with them to Tlachichila, Zacatecas, a town of about 3,000 people in central Mexico.

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