BRISTOL — A Kenosha family is being torn apart by the immigration system — and they are sharing their story in hopes that others will understand what families like theirs go through every day.
Alex Fuentes spent nearly 20 years in the United States — working double shifts, raising three children, and spending more than a decade and their life savings trying to obtain his visa legally. At his final interview at the US consulate in Mexico, he was denied. He cannot return. His wife, Briana, and their three children are now preparing to leave Kenosha and move to Mexico to keep their family together.
"Very long, emotionally hard, financially hard — in every way possible," Briana said. "You work for something so long, and it's like the door is shut. It's hard to find another one open."
Briana says Alex was not just the heart of their home — he was deeply embedded in the Kenosha community too.
Watch: Bristol family torn apart as husband denied visa after decade-long legal process
"My husband is like a go-getter — he was always involved with everything," she said. "For opportunities to be taken because of technicalities, it's not fair. This is not fair."
TMJ4 News spoke with Alex by video call from Mexico, where he is now looking for work and a home for his family.
"It is very tough, especially when you try to do the right thing," Alex said. "I told my wife and my kids — don't see it as the end of our story. We have to keep moving forward. I will keep fighting my case until we get to a resolution. I always carry my family in my heart."
Briana's mother, Rebecca, says the system failed her family.
"The system is broken," she said. "We're losing people that are very valuable, they work hard, and their children depend on them."
Briana's sister Abi — who started a GoFundMe to help the family cover moving expenses and lost income — says she had no choice but to step up.
"It was my turn to step up and ask the community to support — because they need the help," Abi said. "They need the resources to be together."
Briana has gone back to work, taking on substitute positions to cover the bills while preparing for the move.
"Immigration needs a definite reform," she said. "This country was built as a melting pot — and it needs to do better."
This week, the Trump administration announced that people legally in the US seeking green cards must now return to their home countries to apply. For the Fuentes family, that has been their painful reality for months.
To donate to the Fuentes family GoFundMe visit this website.
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