SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — There was a time, just a few years ago, when the lives of Emilio and Analia Maya brimmed with possibility, when their little Main Street cafe thrived and their hard-fought dream of life in America seemed enticingly within reach.
They had emigrated from Argentina in the late 1990s and settled in this picturesque village at the foot of the Catskills, working in restaurants and gas stations, becoming respected members of the community. Emilio joined the volunteer fire department. His sister volunteered as a translator for the local police.
Life was hard, but happy, and they had big plans. They were saving to open a restaurant where Emilio, now 34, would whip up Argentine specialties like chicken empanadas and chimichurri steak while Analia, 30, served customers.
But that was before the Mayas struck their deal.
Like so many other immigrant workers here in the Hudson Valley, the Mayas had overstayed their visitor visas years earlier. Their days were haunted by the fact that they could be deported at any time
http://www.star-telegram.com/462/story/1966806.html
[Posted by Aaron Mendez]
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