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A filmmaker from Brazil allegedly living in the U.S. illegally for more than 25 years was arrested by federal agents in Hawaii and is facing deportation after he failed to appear before an immigration judge in August. Friends and family of Roggerio Carlos Barbosa Araujo, aka Roggerio Battera, put out a public plea for assistance after Araujo was arrested Oct. 28 by federal agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the parking lot of his apartment building. Araujo is being held at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu ahead of deportation proceedings. Araujo’s wife of 17 years, Cheryl Bartlett, is legally blind and lives with a metabolic disorder and chronic kidney disease. Araujo is her primary caregiver and also cares for his mother, a U.S. citizen who lives in Waianae, and Bartlett’s parents, who are 84 and 86, Cheryl Bartlett told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an interview. “I adore my husband and I love him beyond measure. Our bond is very strong. He accommodates and assists me with my disabilities constantly, without complaint. We are like a single organism,” said Bartlett. “We live with joy. We are participants in the social fabric of our community.” Bartlett, Miss Hawaii 1986, thanked the federal agents who processed her husband for treating him with professional courtesy. Araujo’s Application for Permanent Residency was denied on Nov. 23, 2012, for allegedly making a false claim, Homeland Security officials told the Star-Advertiser. He failed to appear before the immigration judge in Honolulu on Aug. 29 and was ordered removed in absentia, they said. On Oct. 28, he was “interviewed and admitted he was in the country illegally,” DHS officials said in a statement “Roggerio Carlos Barbosa Araujo, an illegal alien from Brazil, has overstayed his extended B2 Visitor Visa by more than a quarter of a century, made a false claim on a federal form, and failed to appear before an immigration judge,” read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from a senior DHS official. “When you are in the country illegally, overstay your visa, make a false claim on a federal form, and fail to appear before your immigration judge, you should expect to get deported. If Araujo is deported, nothing prevents his wife from going to Brazil with him.” Araujo acknowledges that he “has no fear of being returned to his home country of Brazil.” “He was given full due process,” according to homeland security federal officials. Cheryl Bartlett said that leaving her parents and Araujo’s mother to move to Brazil would be too much considering she is legally blind and living with multiple health issues. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security are partnering to enforce U.S. immigration law, President Donald Trump’s top law enforcement priority. More than 110 people were arrested in Hawaii between January and June on suspicion of violating U.S. immigration law. A GoFundMe page for Araujo (808ne.ws/47VdWo9) raised $5,756 by Wednesday evening. Araujo listed professional work in cinematography, sound mixing, photography, illustrative storytelling, multimedia and filmmaking resources on his Facebook page. Last year he and Carol Polcovar created “In the Shadows,” a Hawaii Filmmakers Collective 72 Hours film challenge. Araujo features 127 films, some dating back 17 years with tens of thousands of views, on his YouTube page, “Garage Cinema.” On Oct. 26, Araujo, who uses Roggerio Battera as his professional name, posted a notice on his Facebook page about the world premiere of the latest movie he worked on. “Plankenstein: A Killer Surf Movie!,” starts streaming Friday on Amazon Prime, Fandango, TubiTV, PlutoTV, Vimeo, and Bloodstream, according to Araujo. The film is scheduled to premiere Saturday in theater at the Kailua Cinemas. “This is one of our own. And he needs us,” read a social media post asking for support from peers in the industry. “Many of you have worked alongside Roggerio on indie film projects across the islands over the years. You know his heart, his dedication, his creative spirit. Sure he can be a little kooky sometimes, but he’s been part of our community for 17 years not just as a filmmaker, but as a husband, a caregiver, a church member, and a friend.” Bartlett described her husband as vivacious, energetic and in love with his family. Bartlett’s father, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, has a special bond with Araujo and taught his daughter to love her country. “My country is shattering my family,” she said, describing the current enforcement of U.S. immigration law as callous and hard. “I’m not going to sit here quietly while someone takes my husband away and shears my family in half. Its not the American way.”
