Emilio Gutiérrez Soto, Journalist and U-M Knight-Wallace Fellow, and his son Oscar Gutiérrez Soto will be sharing their personal 10-year journey through the US immigration system.

In 2008, Emilio applied for asylum to escape death threats stemming from his journalistic exposure of military corruption in Mexico. During the first seven months of living in the US, Emilio and Oscar were in a detention facility before being released with work permits. In July 2017, after nearly 10 years of living in the US, the asylum case was denied and their attorney quickly filed to reopen the case. During a regular ICE check-up in December, 2017 Emilio and Oscar were almost deported and then detained in an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas for eight months. Upon release, Emilio accepted the 2018 U-M Knights Wallace Fellowship and joined the University of Michigan this year. Emilio was awarded the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club in 2017 and organizations such as the U-M Knights Wallace Foundation, Reporters without Borders, the National Press Club, and the Society of Professional Journalists have advocated on his behalf.

This event will take place at the International House Ann Arbor.