Mexican Man Who Spent 1 Year In Church To Avoid Deportation Free Again

Javier Flores Garcia and his family. Photo courtesy of Philly

A Mexican man Javier Flores Garcia, who had been living in a Philadelphia church for about a year to avoid deportation to his home country, has walked free. Javier left the Arch Street Methodist Church on Wednesday, surrounded by his family.

He was photographed cradling his 4-year-old son, Javier, with his wife, Alma, and daughter, Adamaris, by his side inside the Philadelphia church, where he was granted sanctuary on November 13, 2016.

Garcia who first crossed into United States territory without proper paperwork in 1997, had been caught and returned to Mexico a number times in the past.

In 2004, Garcia was stabbed and worked with the government to capture the men responsible. His actions made him eligible for a special type of visa for people who help police.

Garcia’s attorney says his client has been granted deferred action, which allows him to live and work in the U.S.

Garcia who took sanctuary in the church when it became obvious that he was going to be deported, says he plans to stay in Philadelphia a very long time to come.

About Mexico

Mexico is plagued a rising violence rate, stagnant wages and declining purchasing power.

At the end of 2016, the recommended food basket which includes food for a family of two adults and two minors - cost a total of 218.06 pesos, or $10.52, a day. Based on the previous minimum salary, 73.04 pesos, one worker could only afford to buy 33.5% of basic necessary food goods

In 2014, 53.2% of the country lived below the national poverty line by the broadest measure of poverty, meaning they lacked sufficient "disposable income to acquire the basic food basket and make necessary expenses for health, education, clothing, housing, and transport, even if all of their home's disposable income was used exclusively for the acquisition of these goods and services."

In terms of hours worked and wages earned, Mexico is the worst among countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. Mexican laborers worked, on average, a total of 2,246 hours in 2015, the most of the 35 The OECD.

Mexican workers earned on average a total of only $14,867 which is the lowest in the OECD and far behind second-to-last Hungary, where workers made 19,999 in 2015.

Unlike their Mexican counterparts, United States workers labored, on average, for 1,790 hours in 2015, earning over $58,714.