Who is María? 

María, is the mother of a U.S. citizen baby named Melisa, she is now at risk of deportation because of the notorious “Secure Communities” program.  “Secure Communities” puts local police at work enforcing immigration law - misusing local resources and undermining of community/police relations.  U.S. citizens, babies and kids are separated from their parents and family members because of “Secure Communities.”
 
Maria Bolaños is a 28-year-old undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, the hardworking mother of Melisa, a 21-month-old U.S. citizen. Last December, Maria called the Prince George’s Maryland police during a domestic dispute at her apartment in Hyattsville.  During that domestic violence call, police officers noticed a stack of telephone cards in her apartment. They later mailed her an arrest warrant.  When she went into the police station to understand what it was about, she was arrested and her fingerprints were sent to ICE.  ICE ordered her detained.

Maria faces deportation and possible separation from her daughter Melisa.  When she thinks about what will happen if she is deported, the first and only thing that comes to mind is Melisa. With no other family member to take care of her in the US, Melisa would have to be either separated from her mother and left in the care of strangers or go back to El Salvador with mom. It breaks Maria’s heart to think that the only option would be to take Melisa back to El Salvador with her, where her baby daughter would lose all the great opportunities she is entitled to as a U.S. citizen and would in turn be exposed to ongoing crime and violence, the permanent threat of gangs and drug wars (Maria’s younger brother was killed by gangs last year) and no access to quality health care and education.

Maria would never consider calling the police again when she is in crisis.  Neither would her neighbors or anyone else she knows. In Prince George’s County, 83% of the people that have been picked up through “Secure Communities” have never been charged with a crime.  Because of ICE’s “Secure Communities” program, families that include undocumented immigrants no longer trust their local police departments. 

What happened to Maria affects us all.  Justice is not served by the deportation of Melisa’s mom.  Ask President Obama to halt ICE's "Secure Communities" program and stop Maria’s deportation.