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Stop the Deportation of the Mejia-Perez Family; Parents of a Dreamer

By immigrationprof

From Mark Silverman of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:

1. Sign this letter and join Gilbert’s support group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=174019260906&ref=ts

2.    Call Secretary of DHS Janet Napolitano at (202) 282-8000 and urge her to grant deferred action to the Mejia-Perez family.

3.    Call Assistant Secretary of DHS John Morton at (202) 732-3000 and urge him to grant deferred action to the Mejia-Perez family.

4.    Call CIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas at (210) 272-1000 and urge him to grant deferred action to the Mejia-Perez family.

5.    Call Senator Dianne Feinstein at both her DC office – (202) 224-3841- and her San Francisco office – (415) 393-0707. Urge her to introduce a private bill for the Mejia-Perez Family.

ALSO, KEEP CALLING:

5.   Call Senator Barbara Boxer at both her DC office – (202) 224-3553 – and her Sacramento office – (916) 448-2787. Urge her to introduce a private bill for the Mejia-Perez Family.

6.   Call Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey at both her DC office – (202) 225-5161 – and her Marin Office – (415) 507-9554. Urge her to introduce private bill for the Mejia-Perez Family.

BACKGROUND:

Salvador and Elida are originally from Guatemala, but have been living in Novato, California for over 17 years, since February 1992.  They have three children: Gilbert, who is 18 years old and just started junior college, and who came to the U.S. when he was one year old; Helen, who is 13 years old and a freshman in high school, and who is a U.S citizen (born in California); and Dulce, who is 4 years old and is also a U.S. citizen (also born in California).  Gilbert would be a model beneficiary of the DREAM Act, so long as he is allowed to remain in the U.S. until that legislation passes. 

In March 2007, the family was subjected to a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), in which both the kids and the parents were forced out of bed at gunpoint in the very early hours of the morning by ICE officers.  Since that time, Helen, who had been an outstanding student and published young poet, has suffered severe PTSD and now continues to battle with that and with the prospect of being forced to move to Guatemala in order to remain with her family, despite being a U.S. citizen. Dulce also has a serious health condition – she was diagnosed with “Failure to Thrive” as a baby, and continues to be chronically underweight and has difficulty swallowing food.

One of the most notable things about this family’s case is that when they went before the Immigration Judge in October 2007, she actually granted them a form of relief called “cancellation of removal”, which would have resulted in them receiving their green cards and becoming lawful permanent residents. The judge recognized that deportation of Salvador and Elida would cause “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to their U.S. citizen children, Helen and Dulce. Unfortunately, the government appealed that finding and the decision was reversed (and all other avenues for relief have been exhausted), which is why they are now facing deportation.

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