Can his family take my kids?

Question

I was engaged to and have two little boys with an illegal immigrant from Mexico. We are still friends, and since I can remember we had been discussing how we would send our two sons- ages 2 and 3- to Mexico for a few months to spend time with his family. Even though we are not together anymore, he still wants me to take them down there, stay a week, then leave them with his family for 2 or 3 months so they can learn Spanish, enjoy the environment, spend time with family, etc. I'm willing to let this happen because we were together almost 5 years and always agreed we would so I don't want to re-neg on what I feel is a previous commitment. Still, my family is not too happy about it and keeps telling me I'm making a huge mistake. They keep saying that once I leave the children there, I'm going to be relinquishing all rights too them and his family can take them and that I won't be able to get them back. Mexico is not that far, his family lives only in this one small town and here in Virginia, I will be retaining their passports, birth certificates, etc. when I come back...what is the chance of this really happening? Not that I don't trust his family, but could they really take my children if I leave them there?

Answer 1

you should probably come with them

Answer 2

Yes,your parents are right. It is very possible for them to keep your children.

Answer 3

Who has official custody of the children?  If it has not been set by a court, the father could keep the children in Mexico and I do not think you would have any rights to get them back.

Answer 4

As he is the father he has joint custody of them by default.If you send them down there they can keep them.If you retain their passports and birth certificates then they have no way of returning with out difficulty.My suggestion take them down there but stay with them, but even so they can be taken from you and not returned.And all they have to do is pay off the local police and then you will never see your little ones again. I have a child with an illegal too and i have been told by him how he can steal my child and that is why i am warning you.But do you really think his family will do that? Especially if the break up wasnt a bad one.

Answer 5

it would not be a problem, you would sign a notarized letter allowing the children to travel with the father for a stated period of time, and keep a copy of this letter. i don't think his parents would even think about keeping your kids or taking them away from their mother, no matter what happened between you and their father. i believe they would really appreciate the gesture, it would show that you trust them and in turn you will see the joy in their hearts when you arrive with their grandchildren that they probably have never seen. and as far as your family is concerned i too would not want my grandchildren to leave for a few months but i realize they have two sets of grandparents and we have to share the joy they bring us, grandparents love their grandchildren a little more than their own children. i did not believe this until i became a grandfather.  i am sure you know that it is not easy for Mexican citizens to visit the u.s. legally.  

Answer 6

Do not take them to Mexico and for sure, do not leave them there.  It is a possibility that you will not get them back.

Why not have them come here for a visit.  That would be a much safer route to take.

Answer 7

Be carefull, I had a freind latino American born. He and his mexican wife seperated she went to Mexico and took their three kids. He got a court order, went to Mexico, but was told they didn't care about an American court order, even though the children were American citizens.

He was thrown into jail and released a few weeks later and warned not to come back. If something goes wrong you will probably be helpless. Why would anyone who left such a culture want their children to experience it? Whatever you decide, may god be with you, and protect both you and your children.