Ever since his release from prison back in March, Joe Giudice has been held in an ICE detention center awaiting deportation to Italy.
Last month, Giudice’s appeal was denied, which means his chances of being permitted to remain in America are growing slimmer by the day.
But on the bright side, at least his family finally decided to pay him a visit!
Yes, it was Joe’s 47th birthday on Wednesday, and his wife and kids marked the occasion by paying him a visit in the clink.
The whole fam reportedly made the trip, and Joe’s 18-year-old daughter Gia posted a tribute to her beloved father on Instagram:
"Happy birthday to the guy who teaches me everyday to keep going and never stop fighting! you inspire me everyday," she wrote.
"Love you so much keep smiling see you soon."
Yes, clearly, Gia is optimistic about her father’s chances of fighting this thing.
But Joe’s odds of returning home to Jersey are less than stellar.
The family did get some good news this week, when they learned that Joe’s deportation has been delayed in order to allow for additional appeals.
But legal experts who have been studying the case say Teresa’s husband is still considered a long shot.
The former Real Housewives of New Jersey star was born in Italy, and while he’s lived in the US since childhood, he never bothered to apply for citizenship.
In fairness, Joe probably would have been fine if he had never been convicted of tax fraud.
If he were to remain in the US now, he would be doing so at the government’s pleasure — and it’s not a great time to be an illegal immigrant.
Not surprisingly, Teresa has taken some flak for waiting so long to bring her kids to visit Joe.
But apparently, she had her reasons.
"It is a difficult place to visit, from the overall cleanliness to the actual application for a visit to happen. Plus, it is just so far away," a source tells Us Weekly.
And it’s not like Joe’s family hasn’t been doing everything in their power to help with his case.
Teresa begged the judge in Joe’s case to delay his deportation, and it appears her efforts had an impact.
As for Gia, she’s been circulating a petition and appealing to Donald Trump to let Joe stay in the US.
The Donald isn’t exactly known for his compassion, of course.
But hey, anything goes at this point, and we’re sure Joe appreciates his family’s efforts as the zero hour approaches.
