During Joe Giudice‘s stint in prison for fraud, we did not hear much about him. Sure, wife Teresa Giudice talked about Joe once in a while on the Real Housewives of New Jersey or in the media, but his time in prison was mostly low-key. As it is meant to be! However, since Joe’s release from prison in March, we have been given frequent updates on the status of his ongoing deportation case. Joe’s decision to not become a U.S. citizen backfired, resulting in deportation proceedings commencing against him.
In April, Joe’s appeal to ICE to stay in the country was denied, meaning he would be deported. Later that month, he achieved a legal victory when the courts agreed to look at his case again. In May, Joe was given approval to remain in the U.S. while waiting for a decision regarding his deportation. The legal wrangling continued on over the summer, until Joe finally requested to be allowed to return to Italy to await the decision on his case. Now, there is an update in the ongoing legal saga.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Joe’s request to return to his native Italy has been given the green light by the court. Two judges approved the request, which means Joe can go to Italy while awaiting the decision in his deportation case.
James Leonard, Joe’s attorney, stated in the documents that “[Joe wants to] begin working and contributing financially to his wife and four kids.” Which is hard to do when you are in ICE detention.
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Of course, I am sure Joe’s ideal would be to remain in the U.S. with his family, but at least now he will have some degree of freedom. You have to wonder how he now feels about his decision to remain an Italian citizen, despite living in America for most of his life.
Joe’s children continue to support him in his quest to remain in the U.S. They have visited him while he has been in ICE detention and have made public appeals on his behalf. Gia Giudice created a petition for President Trump to stop her father’s deportation. Unfortunately for the Giudices, the petition went nowhere.
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Sister Milania Giudice even made a public plea for her father on Instagram. Something no child should ever have to do.
And what of Joe and fellow felon Teresa? Earlier this year, Teresa reportedly said she would divorce Joe if he was deported. There have also been rumors of Teresa engaging in extra-curricular romantic activity while Joe has been on lockdown. If Joe is ultimately deported, their marriage might be kaput. It is difficult to imagine Teresa giving up her reality fame to settle down in some cozy Italian casa with Joe and their children.
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No matter how you feel about the Giudices, you have to agree the situation is a terrible one for their children. They are the unfortunate collateral victims in the crimes of Joe and Teresa. The elder Giudices are shining examples that bad decisions can have consequences you could never dream of.
TELL US–DO YOU THINK JOE SHOULD BE DEPORTED? DO YOU THINK TERESA WILL DIVORCE JOE IF HE IS DEPORTED?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]