Illegal Immigrant Moms Protest Impending Deportation

WASHINGTON -- Undocumented immigrants and dozens of supporters, including the pro-amnesty group Casa de Maryland, rallied outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in the District Wednesday, demanding relief for four women facing deportation. The women, all mothers of young children, were among the protesters, clutching posters of their families and chanting.

After a brief news conference, the protesters attempted to enter the federal building but were stopped by guards. About 30 minutes later, an ICE official emerged from the front entrance and briefly spoke with the women, but did not allow them to enter.

Roxana Santos, a 31-year-old undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, is scheduled to be deported on September 30th.. She is suing the Frederick County Sheriff's department, alleging she was the victim of racial profiling after being arrested outside her job while eating lunch. She said deportation would prevent her from earning enough money to support her family, which includes a one-year-old son back in her native country.

"She works to provide for her son and for her mother. I work here and with the little that I make I am able to help with my mother's care, with her medicine, and anything else that she needs," Santos said through an interpreter.

Santos' attorney claims his client did nothing wrong and was never told why she was arrested. "She did not understand why they were taking her into custody, unless sitting down eating your lunch while brown or Latino is a crime in this country," said attorney Jose Perez. "She was never charged with any criminal activity or a crime at any time," he added.

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said Santos was handed over to ICE because she had an outstanding deportation order against her.

"When she spotted the deputies coming from a distance away she got up and ran. As a good patrol deputy that's a little bit of a red flag. Why did someone just get up and arbitrarily run away?" Sure it's normal to get up and run away, everybody does it, not sure how she can claim racial profiling in Maryland she would had to of been the only hispanic eating outside her job.

“She works to provide for her son and for her mother. I work here and with the little that I make I am able to help with my mother’s care, with her medicine, and anything else that she needs,”

To mitigate her situation, did she make any offer to pay the back taxes she owes for working without a SSN?

Personally, I’D love to work somewhere where I could KEEP ALL MY EARNINGS, TOO!!!!! If you could find such a country for me, please let me know... I’ll start packing RIGHT NOW!!!!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.