Immigration letter arrives months after detainee killed in Dallas ICE facility shooting
Immigration letter arrives after ICE facility shooting
A Texas widow is grappling with renewed grief after receiving an immigration approval letter for her husband months after he was killed in a sniper attack outside a Dallas ICE facility.
DALLAS - Months after Miguel Garcia was shot and killed during an ambush attack at a Dallas ICE facility, his wife, Stephany Gauffeny, opened her mail to find an unexpected letter, an approval notice addressed to a man who would never read it.
What we know:
The couple had been together since they were teenagers and were married nearly 10 years, raising four children. Their youngest, Miles, was born three days after Garcia died.
Garcia was among three detainees shot in September when a gunman opened fire on a transport van at the Dallas ICE detention center. Authorities said the sniper targeted the facility and fired indiscriminately. The gunman killed himself moments later. Garcia, who was in the country illegally and had recently been charged with DWI, died from his injuries.
Dallas ICE facility attack: Second victim dies days after shooting
Following a targeted shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, 32-year-old Miguel Ángel García-Hernández, died days later, leaving behind a pregnant wife and four young children.
What they're saying:
"Right when I read that, I just started crying," Gauffeny said.
Gauffeny said the arrival of the letter brought a wave of grief for the life they were still building. "It’s been really hard, I mean everything reminds me of him," she said. "Having to get used to life without him because we were together so long."
"They’re just sad about it. They miss him," Gauffeny said of her children.
As the first holidays without him approach, she said the loss feels even heavier. "Since it’s Christmastime… I don’t know," she said, trailing off.
Dig deeper:
Gauffeny acknowledged her husband had made mistakes but said he was committed to improving his life. "We definitely had a lot of plans," she said. "And it’s just all changed now."
Before Garcia’s death, the family had moved into a new home in Arlington. Gauffeny said her husband had been excited to celebrate their first Christmas there.
What's next:
ICE has not responded to multiple requests for comments about the approval letter.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's David Sentendrey.