Is your case stuck in administrative process? We can help you by completing this form.

Niece of U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello Receives 2 Years Probation for Hiding Her Boyfriend From Immigration Officials

Spread the love

The niece of Congressman Jerry Costello has been sentenced to two years probation for knowingly harboring her undocumented boyfriend in Southern Illinois.  According to a stipulation of facts signed by the defendant, Deanna Costello, and the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted her, the woman's boyfriend, Rogelio Salaices-Arenales, had lived with the defendant at their home in Cahokia.  Salaices-Arenales was living with Deanna Costello at the time of a federal drug arrest in 2003.  The man was subsequently convicted, sentenced, imprisoned and deported to his home country of Mexico.

In March of 2006, Ms. Costello picked Salaices-Arenales up from the St. Louis Greyhound bus station and brought her back to her home in Cahokia where he lived in the U.S. without status until a subsequent arrest in October of that year. That arrest filed a brief chase in which the man called the Congressman's niece and her subsequent appearance on the scene.

This case demonstrates that people who house known undocumented aliens do so at their peril.  This is especially true in situations such as this one where the person being hidden has a criminal past.  While we have not heard of a high number of harboring convictions, we have noticed an uptick in these types of prosecutions.  If you face criminal charges in Southern Illinois or Missouri related to harboring an undocumented individual or if you have questions about deportation in general, please feel free to contact me, Jim Hacking, at 314-961-8200 or by completing our online contact page.

You May Also Like

A Complete Guide To The U.S. Naturalization Test And Interview Spread the love Becoming a U.S. citizen is an exciting and life-changing journey. One of the key steps in this process is taking the naturalization test. This test, administered... VIEW POST
Can You Apply for Naturalization with an Expired Green Card? Spread the love A green card, known as a Permanent Resident Card, serves as evidence of your legal permanent resident status in the US. It allows you to work... VIEW POST
April 2024 USCIS Fees Increase: What You Need To Know Spread the love The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant increase in fees for various immigration applications and services. This move has sparked concerns... VIEW POST

Download Free Guide 
2024 Immigrant’s Guide to 
Becoming a U.S. Citizen

This guide contains all you need to know to become  
a U.S. citizen.

Download Free Guide 2022 Immigrant’s Guide to Becoming a U.S. Citizen

This guide contains all you need to know
to become a U.S. citizen.
DOWNLOAD FREE PDF

Immigration 
Answers Show
Live every week.

JOIN US