On May 2nd, 2017, the Pukri family thought their day had come.

They came to the U.S. from Albania in 2001, and had been trying to get legal status ever since. A letter had arrived from the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, also known as the green card lottery. Some 20 million people apply for permanent residency through this program, and only 50,000 are selected. It’s a long shot, but the Pukris have applied almost every year since they came to the United States 17 years ago. 

This time, they thought they'd won. After a year of preparation, they were given an appointment date for February 6, 2018. They thought it was the final step in the green card process — just a formality, an interview with immigration. 

But when they went in for the appointment, the father, Vitor, and the mother, Neta, were detained. 

If they lose their case, the family now faces either going back to Albania, or being split up. The two sons, Bepin and Mikel, 26 and 21, respectively, are DACA recipients, while Angela, who's 10, was born in the U.S. and is an American citizen. 

Takeaway Producer Oliver Lazarus went to Clifton, New Jersey, to speak with the Pukri family.

In response to this segment, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued The Takeaway the following statement:

“Both Neta Pukri and Vitor Pukri had previous orders of removal from the United States dating back to 2004, which in the case of both was upheld by two different appellate courts. On Feb. 6, ICE arrested both individuals based on their final orders of removal. Vitor Pukri is currently in ICE custody, and Neta Pukri has been enrolled in the agency’s Alternatives to Detention program.”

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Music for this segment is provided by Gypsy George and the Open Road Love Affair.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich