Teresa Giudice Breaks Silence on Joe's Deportation with Photo of the Statue of Liberty Crying

Michele Corriston
Updated

Teresa Giudice is sending a message about her husband’s legal troubles.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star posted on social media Sunday for the first time since a judge ruled that Joe Giudice will be deported to his native Italy at the end of his prison sentence, sharing an image of the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes with her hands, seemingly crying and covering tears.

Teresa, 46, captioned the Instagram with a series of praying hand emojis. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of immigration in the United States.

View this post on Instagram

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A post shared by Teresa Giudice ® (@teresagiudice) on Oct 14, 2018 at 6:17pm PDT

Joe, 48, is currently serving out a 41-month prison sentence for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud that began in March 2016. He is set to be released in 2019 and has 30 days to appeal the immigration court’s ruling.

Even though Joe has lived in America since he was a child, he never obtained American citizenship, and immigrants can be deported from the United States if they are convicted of “a crime of moral turpitude” or an “aggravated felony,” according to U.S. law.

A source previously told PEOPLE that Teresa “never imaged Joe would really get deported.”

“This is going to break her,” the source said. “She always knew that this was a possibility, but she put it out of her head. That’s the only way she could go on living day to day.”

The couple share four children: daughters Gia, 17, Gabriella, 14, Milania, 12, and Audriana, 9.

Gia and Milania have also addressed their father’s deportation on Instagram.

“My dad, who is the best dad in the world, needs to come home,” Milania wrote. “We aren’t done fighting dad. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t imagine another day without you.”

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This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my dad?? my father is no threat to society he is one of the most warm hearted people I know, he would never harm a soul. He puts everyone else before himself. I know who my father is and I think many of you do too. My father did his time and learned from his mistakes. Isn’t being in there supposed to make you realize your mistakes so you can become a better person? And that’s exactly what my father did. He hasn’t felt or looked this good since he was in his 30’s. We have so many plans to do as a family when he gets out. I need my father to be here. My father belongs with us and his entire family. My father came into this country when he was one years old, the United States is the only country he knows, spread the word #bringjoehome

A post shared by Gia Giudice (@_giagiudice) on Oct 14, 2018 at 6:14pm PDT

Gia shared a throwback photo with her father Sunday night, saying Joe “s no threat to society” and “would never harm a soul.”

“My father did his time and learned from his mistakes,” she said. “Isn’t being in there supposed to make you realize your mistakes so you can become a better person? And that’s exactly what my father did.”