Mom and Kids Relieved to Spend Mother’s Day Without Imminent Threat of Deportation, But Continue a Life in Limbo
After a hard fought public campaign, local Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director, Rebecca Adducci, granted a six month “stay of removal” to Maria Esmeralda Cornejo—a 14 year Columbus, Ohio resident and mother of three U.S. citizen children under the age of 10.
Said Julie Nemecek, Esmeralda’s attorney:
This is a huge sigh of relief for Esmeralda and her three children. For nearly six months, this family lived in constant fear of being separated from the only country they know, but now they have a little more time to live in peace and without the constant threat of deportation.
But the battle is not over yet. This six month stay continues to leave this family in limbo and worried they’ll have to fight the same fight all over again in a few months. And, with only six months, Esmeralda may not have time to apply for a work permit, so she can truly provide for her family. We’re going to continue to fight tooth and nail until Esmeralda is granted the permanent relief she and her children need.
Patty Kupfer, Managing Director of America’s Voice Education Fund, a national advocacy group who helped with Esmeralda’s case, added:
Esmeralda and her family are the perfect example of what is wrong with the Obama Administration’s current policies. Is it really a good use of taxpayer dollars to deport a mother and her 3 kids who’ve lived here, studied here and are productive members of the community? If ICE really wants to follow its own stated priorities, they should grant Esmeralda more permanent relief and spend their time going after the real criminals.
As this Ohio family continues to fight to stay in the United States, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is reviewing current deportation processes to examine ways to enforce current law in a more “humane” way. Given the fact that Esmeralda has no meaningful criminal record and has lived in the United States for 14 years, she’d likely benefit from the outcome of this review. Moreover, Esmeralda would likely qualify for citizenship under the Senate immigration bill supported by the Obama Administration.
