Abel Roldan Martinez 43 made the long journey from his hometown of La Libertad in the Peten Department of Guatemala with his daughter Olga Oneida Roldan Lucas, 16, through Mexico.
He worked as a field worker, planting corn, beans and coffee his entire life.
With four kids and his wife to take care of, the money he would earn never sufficed for him, his four kids and his wife. “I came here because of necessity, and to better our lives,” he said.
His destination in the United States is Georgia where he hopes to work if he can get through the court. He showed his ankle bracelet that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has him wearing to keep track of his movements. The batteries must be charged three times per day in order to stay on.
Abel Roldan Martínez, 43, hizo el viaje largo desde su pueblo de La Libertad Departamento Peten en Guatemala con su hija Olga Oneida Roldan Lucas, 16, por México.
Trabajo como trabajador de campo toda su vida sembrando elote, frijol, y café.
Con cuatro hijos y su esposa que mantener, el dinero que ganaba nunca era suficiente para él sus cuatro hijos y su esposa. “Yo llegué aquí por necesidad, y una vida mejor,” dijo él.
Su destino en Estados Unidos es Georgia donde espera trabajar si puede llegar a través de la corte. Mostró su brazalete de tobillo que Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas lo tiene usando realizar un seguimiento de sus movimientos.
The Faces of Immigration Project is a 40 Day photo journal series used to highlight the stories of all Immigrants. The project is meant to shed light on some of the many reasons people have for immigrating to the U.S. Statements and stories have been edited for content, clarity, and brevity and may not reflect the entirety of an Immigrant’s reasons for immigrating to the United States.
By Paul Ratje