Ursula “Urs” Gomez immigrated to the United States when she was only 5 years old. In her early life, she experienced family separation and domestic violence. Upon migrating with her parents, Urs was forced to leave her beloved grandmother for good.

In school, Urs was bullied for coming from a poor family and having limited English proficiency. At home, Urs watched her father succumb to alcoholism and physically abuse her mother, while neglecting her and her sister. Urs was forced to keep her household afloat: mediating her parent’s conflicts, making appointments, and translating for her family. When Urs learned about her undocumented status in high school, she felt like her dreams were no longer possible. As she grappled with this burden and the trauma of family abuse, Urs lost interest in her studies. She began fighting and doing drugs. Yet Urs still graduated from high school and vocational school, completing an X-ray technician program with honors and securing a full-time internship. 

At age 19, Urs fell in love with a man 10 years her senior who was affiliated with gangs and using illicit substances. She went along with her boyfriend and his friend to rob a drug dealer to fuel her and her partner’s addiction, but in the course of the robbery, the drug dealer killed her partner. Even though Urs did not have a gun and did not hurt anyone, she was still convicted of first degree murder with special circumstance and sentenced to life without parole. 

During her time inside CCWF, Urs has taken incredible initiative to heal and rehabilitate herself through self-help, education, and work. Urs has completed programs like Cage Your Rage, Beyond Violence, Narcotics Anonymous, and multiple domestic violence and abuse workshops to understand and heal from her trauma. Today, she is a leader in the programs she once was a participant in, including Cage Your Rage and AWARE. In 2015, Urs was recognized for her “diligent interest in her own self-improvement endeavors.” Urs is also an active participant in the Asian Prisoner Support Committee Literature Club. In regards to her continuing efforts to pursue her education, Urs has earned her AA degree and is working towards her Bachelor’s in the Fresno State program in CCWF. 

After earning parole in August 2024, Urs was transferred from CCWF to Northwest ICE Processing center, where she is being indefinitely detained despite earning her parole and freedom. Ursula has so many dreams with her freedom from carceral walls. Upon her release, she aims to carry out her full business plan through the Defy Ventures program, in which she hopes to help community members inside with their vending needs. She plans to hire FIP and veterans as her first employees. Furthermore, Ursula plans to work with organizations like 2nd Call, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, and A New Way of Life Re-Entry, which will help her continue to rehabilitate from the trauma of abuse and addiction. Ursula’s loving family and supportive community will help her secure employment, find housing, and continue her educational goals. 

Please sign the petition to demand Governor Newsom grant a pardon to Ursula Gomez and release her from immigration detention!