ROSWELL, Ga. — Jason Rochester has celebrated more than five years of birthdays and holidays with his son, Ashton. But the two have missed Ashton's mother, Jason's wife, Cecilia Gonzalez. Rochester relies on video calls to stay in touch with his bride of 16 years.
The two met at work in the United States. Gonzalez now lives in Mexico after voluntarily leaving the U.S. in 2018 out of fear of deportation. During Gonzalez's time away, nine-year-old Ashton endured a battle with cancer. He and Rochester see Gonzalez once or twice a year during the summer.
"My son, Ashton, has been away from his mom over half his life now," Rochester said. "He had to have surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and all of that happened when he was five. He didn't have his mom with him at all. It's too much lost time that we'll never get back."
But now, Rochester is looking for solutions on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
He is supporting the American Families United Act, a bill that would allow U.S. citizens to request a case-by-case waiver for non-citizen family members to live in the states. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security would have the authority to hear these cases should the bill pass.
"To let an immigration judge hear our case individually, that's all we're asking for," Rochester said. "We're not asking for a guarantee, we're not asking for amnesty. It's just a chance. All we’re asking for is an opportunity to be able to bring her home.”
The bill died in the House in 2022 after it ran out of time to pass, according to the group American Families United. The bill has also received pushback from some Republicans in Congress as well.
“Millions of illegal immigrants have swarmed our country since Biden took office and there’s no end in sight," Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) said in a statement to 11Alive. "Now is not the time to take our eye off the ball of securing our border, and this bill would make things worse by adding uncertainty and bureaucracy to our immigration system."
If the bill passes this time, relatives with a criminal history or those considered to pose a security threat would not be allowed to return to the U.S.
"We shouldn't have to choose to leave our country just because we married someone we love and had a family with them," Rochester said. "They're not a problem, they're not a nuisance, they're not a troublemaker."
Rochester said the bill's latest version has more bipartisan support and bigger backing from large organizations. He hopes the bill progresses this time, as he relies on his faith and a promise to make up for the lost time.
"I just have to keep doing what I can do and fighting for my family," Rochester said. "I promised my wife I'd do everything I can to bring her home. I have to know there’s hope or I wouldn’t be here. I would give up if I didn’t think there was a possibility.”