Gainesville resident Ariela, a trained doctor, wife and mother of seven children, is facing deportation to Mexico because she was caught driving without a driver’s license. Ariela, her husband Hugo and three of their children fled to the U.S. in 2004 to escape masked gunmen who broke into their home in Guerrero, Mexico, stealing money, jewelry and medication. They said the men held them hostage for two days and threatened to kill them if they went to the police.
Immigration push raises hopes for some
Local family from Mexico among those yearning to earn legal status