In the sixth group of migrants before the judge in Arizona that Monday stood Elder Canales, who had lived in New Orleans for more than a decade — long enough to help rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina and to have a 10-year-old American-born son. The undocumented heavy-equipment operator from Honduras paid taxes in the United States and sent money to his family in his home country, including funds for the burial of two brothers who were murdered by gangs, according to Mr. Miranda, who was representing Mr. Canales. He had had no run-ins with the law.
A few months ago, his wife produced a Honduran passport, rather than United States identification, when she was stopped by officers while driving, Mr. Miranda recounted. They did not arrest her, but they jotted down her address.
About two weeks later, immigration agents staked out their home and arrested Mr. Canales, who was deported in February. Twelve days ago, he sneaked across the border in Arizona, hoping to rejoin his family, only to be caught.
Dressed in a striped polo shirt and slacks, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. His felony charge of illegal re-entry was dismissed, and he was given a 30-day prison sentence.
By 2:55 p.m., all 74 defendants had appeared and the hearing, which had started about 90 minutes earlier, was over.
In his chambers, where the walls are adorned with a stuffed javelina he had killed in the wild and a poster of Mae West, Judge Velasco removed his black robe before sitting for an interview.
His role is to uphold the laws of the land, he said. “If the executive branch wants to concentrate on illegal entry, that is what they do,” he said.
But then the judge raised a question of his own. “As a nation, we should all be thinking about what we are doing and how effective it is,” he said. “What are we doing as a country?”
