Michigan mother faces deportation to Albania after 18 years in US

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Peter Gojcevic said his wife Cile Precetaj found out she's facing deportation Thursday morning. 

She was taken to a hospital for an anxiety attack she suffered before being transported to the St. Clair County jail.

"She had an anxiety attack. She thought she was having a heart attack. She was there for two or three hours, then they took her to jail," said her husband. 

Precetaj has lived in the United States for 18 years, but if deported, she will go to Albania. She also faced a deportation scare in 2013, but she was saved by an executive order in 2014.

Her family says that Precetaj has tried to become a legal citizen since she came to the U.S. in 2018. Her family and attorney also say that she hasn't committed any crimes since she came to the country undocumented.

"If we added up all the money we have spent in attorney fees, it's easily a quarter of a million dollars with everybody promising, and in the end I'm right here with three crying children and a crying mother," her husband, Peter Gojcevic, said. "They say well, she broke the law; she came in here illegally and she overstayed. I think there's a bigger law being broken with breaking up a family."

An ICE spokesperson said there would be a response from the agency regarding the situation Friday.


About the Author:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.