As he awaits the final ruling in hisongoing deportation battle, Joe Giudice just wants his freedom.
Since hisrelease from prisonin March after completing a 41-month sentence for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud, theReal Housewives of New Jerseystar has been in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, being held at the Clinton County Correctional Center in Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, Joe’s legal team filed a petition requesting that he be allowed to move to Italy as he awaits the court’s final decision.
Peter Kramer/Bravo/Getty
It goes on to state that Joe, 49, is still hopeful his appeal will be granted, allowing him to stay in the United States. In the event that he does prevail in his case after he has been released to Italy, Joe requested that ICE facilitate his return home.
The latest filing comes days after a judgedenied Joe’s requesttoreturn to the New Jersey homehe shares with wifeTeresa Giudice, 47, and their daughters Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 10.
“Joe is extremely disappointed,” Leonard told PEOPLE in a statement at the time. “He spent the last six months in a cage not able to hug or kiss his wife or daughters when they came to visit him. We treat animals in shelters better than we treat human beings in these ICE facilities.”
The Giudice Family.Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
Joe and Teresa wereindicted in 2013when they were accused of hiding their fortune in a bankruptcy filing. Joe was also accused of failing to file tax returns between 2004 and 2008. Teresa wasreleased from federal prisonin 2015 after serving 11 months of a 15-month sentence for fraud.
In October, an immigration court ruled todeport Joeto hisnative Italyafter his prison sentence. (Even though he has lived in the United States since he was a child, henever obtained American citizenship, and immigrants can be deported if they are convicted of “a crime of moral turpitude” or an “aggravated felony,” according to U.S. law.)
In May, the Bravo star wasgranted permission to continue living in the U. S.as he awaits his fate — a request his lawyers are now trying to lift.
His requests to appeal the deportation ruling have thus farbeen denied. A final decision is pending.
source: people.com
