I'm reaching out on behalf of someone close to my family. She has been a consistent presence in our lives for over a decade. She is a good person, a loving mother of 5 children, and a devout Christian. Twenty years ago, she entered the United States illegally. This crime is a misdemeanor. She soon married and had babies. Her path to citizenship meant returning to Honduras for 5-10 years while her US citizen babies remained in the United States. Leaving her children for this long was impossible. She remained in Texas where she worked, paid taxes, and took care of her children all on her own.

Five years ago, she began the yearly requirement of going to an immigration office in San Antonio to check in and make certain her criminal record is clean. She has no criminal offenses. This year was different. After being called in, she was given the option of immediate detention without a known destination or put on an ankle monitor and sign papers for self-deportation. She chose the latter. So now she is seeking help from her immigration attorney and scheduling appointments to get passports for her kids all while working full time. Uprooting her family from their friends, schools, and loved ones is a punishment that far exceeds the misdemeanor she committed as a 20-year-old.

If you can, please help