I've lived in Philly just over a year now, and for most of that time I've worked as a staff attorney for a local nonprofit helping immigrants and refugees stay in this country with their families. I have worked in the field for about three years and I've seen a lot of messed up things in that short time. Doing this work is a good way to develop a thick skin. But almost three months ago, I learned about a local case that made my jaw drop.

Julio Maldonado and his cousin Denis Calderon were victims of a racial attack in Northeast Philly in 1996. Julio had come to the U.S. at the age of three from Peru and had been a lawful permanent resident since age seven. He lived in New York and was visiting Denis's home in Philly. Denis's family was the first Latin@ family in the neighborhood.

Despite being the victims of an attack by 15-20 drunken white youth, and with physical evidence at the scene including knives used to stab Denis, Julio and Denis were the only ones charged. One attacker, 18-year-old Christian Saladino, tragically fell into a coma and later died. It turned out later that he suffered from a rare blood clotting condition that, in the excitement of the attack, likely led to his physical reaction. A forensic pathologist testified at the murder trial that it was physically impossible for Saladino's reaction to have been caused by a blow from Julio or Denis. Based in part on this evidence and contradictions from the prosecution's witnesses, the jury acquitted the cousins of murder.

Unfortunately, by then the damage had been done, as a young prosecutor named Seth Williams had already secured a conviction for both Denis and Julio on aggravated assault charges in an earlier hearing. The convicting judge in that case, Judge Gregory Smith, had originally said that he saw both sides of the case, but couldn't figure out how Saladino could have fallen into a coma if Julio or Denis hadn't struck him. After the murder trial, Judge Smith vacated his own verdict after an evidentiary rehearing in which the forensic pathologist from the murder trial testified. But the criminal appeals process was unforgiving, and the DA appealed and won, making the aggravated assault convictions stick. As you probably know, Seth Williams is the likely next DA of Philadelphia, having won the Democratic nomination earlier this year.

So why am I writing about a case that happened so long ago? This is only a story today because of an immigration law, coincidentally also passed in 1996, that imposed severe immigration consequences for an aggravated assault conviction: permanent deportation with no defense. Julio and Denis have spent nearly the last five years in prison for "failing to cooperate in their own removal" because their families begged them to have faith in the system and not to give up.

So the men were first victims of a racial attack, second wrongfully convicted after a biased investigation in which none of the attackers were charged, and third are now being deported by the government that failed them twice already. The pleas of their large U.S. citizen extended family have gone unheard by decisionmakers. Denis's U.S. citizen wife and child will live without a father and a husband. Julio has never known another home besides this country.

I can say from my work that this case is extraordinary in many ways, but the one thing that doesn't surprise me is the reaction of our bureaucrats and elected officials. This case is representative of the low regard in which state, local, and federal government holds Latin@s in the U.S. today. The reaction so far of the Department of Homeland Security and our local politicians stems from the same prejudices that lead the Philly Police Department to target Latin@ immigrants on the basis of race alone inside our city and turn them over to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) without making criminal arrests. This is happening here on a daily basis.

Julio's family has been told he will be deported tomorrow, Friday, October 23. He has had two other recent dates when the family thought he would be deported: September 12 and October 9. Through the efforts of family and supporters, he has remained here. However, DHS has this week moved him to Jena, Louisiana, in preparation for removal, and the family has been told Friday is the new date.

Philadelphia Tribune columnist Linn Washington wrote about the case yesterday on Counterpunch. Milena Velis covered the story in the Spanish-language local Al Dia last month.

There is an extensive list on the family's website of coverage in the blogosphere. But so far, the local English language papers have ignored the case except to give the prosecutors' version of the story.

Maria Rolon, Julio and Denis's cousin, has worked tirelessly to stop the injustice of permanent exile that these men face. Tuesday night, she spoke to Seth Williams at a campaign event and pleaded with him to ask Thomas Decker, District Director of the Philadelphia office of ICE, to put a hold on Julio's deportation until Governor Rendell can review a pending pardon request. Williams agreed to do what he could. But time is short, and the situation is dire. Williams recently challenged his opponent in the election for DA for not being sufficiently aware of or concerned with racial issues in Philly. Now Williams has a singular opportunity to back up that challenge by doing the right thing in a case that has been plagued by questions of anti-Latin@ bias from the very start.

Will Seth Williams take action to undo this injustice before it is too late? Will you email or call his campaign ((215) 587-0345) to ask him to act? Many people will be watching to see how this case is resolved.