South Florida father gets green card after decades of fighting, waiting
After more than 25 years of uncertainty, a Haitian family's fight for permanent legal status in the United States has reached a turning point.
CBS News Miami has followed the Ponthieux family's journey from Little Haiti to the halls of Congress as they advocated for Temporary Protected Status recipients and fought to keep their own family together.
Staff Sgt. Christopher Ponthieux serves in the U.S. Army overseas. He and his sister, Ronyde Christina Ponthieux, were born in the United States, while their parents were born in Haiti.
"My father and my mother have been in the States well over 25 years," Christopher said. "They've done things the right way the whole way through, and I think that's reflective within my own upbringing and what I've done myself."
When Christopher turned 21, he filed Green Card applications for each of his parents. That was nearly five years ago. "I assumed that it would be an easy process," he said.
His mother's application was approved late last year, but his father, Rony Ponthieux, remained in legal limbo. The uncertainty grew after Rony lost his TPS protections and was forced to stop working as a nurse, a career he has held for more than 20 years a few weeks ago when the Supreme Court's decision to end TPS took effect.
"My dad was still at risk, and so it became, 'What can we do? Is there anything we can do? Are there any legal protections?'" Ronyde Christina said, trying to think of anything to help.
Over the two-decade-long fight the family refused to remain silent. Rony took his fight to Congress and also joined Family Action Network Movement (FANM) press conferences and other efforts supporting Haitian immigrants.
"I am here to fight for all TPS recipients," Ronyde Christina said during one of those events.
Just days after Christopher spoke with CBS News Miami about his fear that his father could be detained by immigration authorities, the family received the news it had been waiting years to hear – Rony's Green Card had been approved.
Although his own immigration status is now secure, Rony said he intends to continue speaking for other immigrants facing the same uncertainty. He also hopes to begin the process of becoming a citizen.
"I don't want those people to suffer from what I suffered because they've been here for a long time. They're working," he said.
His daughter said many immigrants are afraid to advocate publicly because they fear drawing attention to themselves and risking detention. "I think that it's a bit hard to advocate for yourself when you're afraid that they might take you," Ronyde Christina said. "I want people to know that the fight is not over."
With his Green Card in hand, Rony has reapplied for his former nursing position and hopes to return to work soon.
The family's experience has also influenced Ronyde Christina's future. The Florida International University senior said the fight inspired her to become an immigration attorney.
She plans to begin law school next year.