Samuel Kang'ethe: Emotional Moment Kenyan Man Leaves US After 16 Years on Self-Deportation
- Tears flowed as Samuel Kang'ethe, a Kenyan-born accountant who has lived in the US for 16 years, packed his bags to return home
- Kang'ethe returned to Kenya voluntarily to avoid a looming deportation over an immigration case he's been grappling with
- The hardest part for the father of three came when his youngest daughter broke down when asked to say her goodbyes
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For nearly two decades, Samuel Kang'ethe, a Kenyan-born accountant, built his life, career, and family in the United States.
Source: UGC
Kang'ethe was married to Latavia for seven years and had three children with her: 13-year-old Dwight, 11-year-old Hailey, and five-year-old Ella.
What did Kang'ethe leave US with?
According to NPR, his last 48 hours in America were a blur of emotions as he packed his odds and ends into five suitcases.
It was not easy trying to decide what to carry and what to leave as he had to pack 16 years of his life into a handful of suitcases.
He carried only the essentials: clothes, golf clubs, his diplomas from Michigan universities, and a pair of hair clippers, tokens of the life he had worked so hard to build.
Friends and family came by to say goodbye, and his wife organised a small farewell party, where tears mixed with laughter as they tried to hold on to the joy of the moment.
Source: UGC
Kang'ethe's most heartbreaking moment
But the hardest part came at home, where his youngest daughter clung silently to her phone and her mother’s side, unwilling to offer more than a brief goodbye.
“That’s what broke me,” Samuel admitted. “Leaving without those hugs.”
Despite the heartbreak, he insists the decision to return to Kenya voluntarily was his way of taking back control.
According to him, being in his country of birth assures his children that he is in a safe place and could one day go back.
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“I didn’t want to leave in shackles,” he said. “At least this way, I can choose how I go.”
Kang'ethe was accompanied by his sister Elizabeth on a journey that would shatter his life into bits that may never be rebuilt.
As he walked through the airport, carrying more than just suitcases, he carried memories, love, and the weight of goodbye.
He looks forward to reuniting with his mother and siblings in Nakuru, Kenya, where he grew up, and dreams of one day returning to the US to be with the family he loves.
Source: UGC
What is self-deportation?
According to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, self-deportation is the act of leaving the US on your own initiative when you’re illegally present.
This is because the enforcement is lawfully mandated to arrest, detain and remove individuals who are illegally present in the United States.
"If you are in the U.S. without official permission, whether for an hour, a month, or even 50 years, or if you stay past the time you were allowed, you are there illegally.
If you are in the U.S. illegally, you can leave on your own at any time. You don’t have to wait for ICE officers to find, arrest, or deport you. This way, you can plan, gather your things, and say goodbye to loved ones," the ICE website states in part.
Self-deporting means leaving the U.S. before immigration officers stop you. How you do it depends on your situation.
"You might choose to tell your employer, friends, and family, make sure your loved ones have support, pack the things you want to take, and arrange where you’ll live next," the information states.
Why Kang'ethe was facing deportation
An unresolved immigration case, tied to a 2014 ruling that a previous marriage was fraudulent, left him facing deportation.
The case exposed him to the risk of being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and being sent to a detention centre or a prison overseas.
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Rather than wait for federal agents to knock on his door, Kangethe made the painful decision to self-deport, leaving behind his wife and their young children.
Maybe, just maybe, Kang'ethe will get another opportunity to return to America to reunite with the family he built for years.
Racheal Nyaguthie, HoD Human Interest, added the details on self-deportation.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
