Joe Giudice‘s deportation has been temporarily delayed.
“This order is issued in accordance with the Standing Order of the Court dated August 8, 2015,” the documents state. “The foregoing motion is temporarily granted; removal is stayed until such time as the Court can consider the motion for stay of removal.”
Joe and Teresa wereindicted in 2013when they were accused of hiding their fortune in a bankruptcy filing. Joe was also accused of failing to file tax returns between 2004 and 2008.
Manny Carabel/Getty
Teresa wasreleased from federal prisonin 2015 after serving 11 months of a 15-month sentence for fraud. Joe was released after he completed a 41-month prison sentence in March for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud.
Since he wasreleasedfrom prison in March, the father of four has been awaiting his fate at a facility in western Pennsylvania that houses immigration detainees.
Even though Joe has lived in the United States since he was a child, henever obtained American citizenship, and immigrants can be deported if they are convicted of “a crime of moral turpitude” or an “aggravated felony,” according to U.S. law.
Last week, it was revealed that Joe is one step closer to deportation because his appeal was denied.
“We are extremely disappointed that the Board of Immigration Appeals has denied Mr. Giudice’s appeal,” Giudice family attorney James J. Leonard Jr. Leonard told PEOPLE in a statement. “We have filed a stay with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and will continue to fight to keep Mr. Giudice in the United States, the only country he knows, and reunite him with his wife and four daughters.”
The Board of Immigration Appeals’ April 6 decision leaves Joe’s future up in the air.
Joe and Teresa share four daughters: Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 10.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
On Tuesday, Giacreated a petitionto stop Joe’simpending deportation.
Gia directed the petition, titled “STOP the Deportation ofJoe Giudice,” toPresident Donald Trump.
“My father,Joe Giudice, came to the United States when he was an infant, one year after his birth, he has resided in New Jersey his entire life,” she wrote. “He is a businessman, a husband, father to four young women all under the age of 19, son, brother, uncle and friend to many. He was found guilty of NON Violent offenses and served his time complying with all prison guidelines and procedures.”
“He and my mother are willing to spend funds and additional time in an immigration prison for the chance he gets to hold his children again,” she continued.
Along with Gia, Teresa and her other three daughters signed the petition.
Trump has yet to publicly respond to the petition.
The White House did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
