CHESHIRE – A husband and wife who own Viron Rondo Osteria in Cheshire are getting the shock of their lives.
The wife was recently told she has to leave the country by Monday.
Denada Rondos is a mother of three. She and her husband, Viron Rondos, have owned the restaurant for four years and lately, she said instead of putting her focus on bettering the business, she has been worried her entire life could change as soon as next week.
“I felt like a criminal,” said Denada.
She has been wearing an ankle bracelet since October as it tracks her every move. She said she is embarrassed to wear it and tries to hide it when she is out in public.
Denada moved to the United States in August 2002 to escape the violence in Albania.
“Very poor. Not too many opportunities for a person to grow and I lived with just my mother and three sisters,” added Denada.
Her three children are U.S. citizens and so is her husband.
“I’m not going to send my wife and children to a community where people get killed,” said Viron.
She said she has no criminal history but she does have a removal order against her that was issued by the Immigration Court in New York in 2007. That is why she said she has continued to work hard for their restaurant several hours a week all while taking care of their children.
“This is our baby, our fourth baby. We have put so many hours here. We have worked so hard to make this as successful as it is,” added Denada.
It was up until this summer when she was fighting her case and was approved stays of removal by ICE but was told her last stay was denied two months ago.
She broke the news to her children on Thursday and she said they have been crying ever since.
“Our records are clear. We thought the criminals are leaving, not people like us who work very hard,” added Viron.
Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty issued a statement to show her support:
“Denada Rondos takes care of three children, a home, and the books for a family-owned restaurant,” Esty said. “Her husband Viron works twelve hours a day to put food on the table for the family, not to mention establishing a small business and providing jobs for people in my hometown of Cheshire. There’s a reason why the Rondos family has received dozens of letters supporting their request to let Denada stay in this country: they work hard, they give back to their community, and they share the values we hold dear in Connecticut. We should be welcoming people like Denada into our country with open arms, not throwing them out to face an uncertain future in a dangerous region.
There are four days left until Denada is forced to leave this country – four days. I cannot imagine the pain and uncertainty her family is feeling right now. My heart breaks at the thought of her children waking up each morning not knowing how long they’ll have with their mother. I want them to know this: Connecticut stands with you. We stand with you, we hear you, and we join you in calling for ICE to grant you a stay of removal so that you can make your case in court.”
“At this point, we are desperate. What am I supposed to do? Let my children go where? When am I going to see my children? When are they going to see me? They have no doctors there. This is terrible!” added Viron.
Denada said she recently filed a new asylum claim with arguments of Albania being a dangerous country. She also said her son, Nikolas was recently diagnosed with a disorder.
Denada is ordered to be at the JFK Airport by 8:30 p.m. on Monday and her plane is expected to take off at 10:30 p.m.