Sara Mendez-Morales, an indigenous Guatemalan mother of two and survivor of trafficking, sexual and domestic violence remains indefinitely detained at Butler Co Jail and without contact with her children in foster care. Sara, while in the United States, had two children with a man who abused her and the children. She tried to report him to authorities who proceeded by sending her to jail for being an undocumented immigrant and being complicit in the endangerment of her children even though she took action and reported the abuse of her daughter to authorities. The indefinite timeline of her detention is  torturous in and of itself, but is also being used as the key argument to permanently terminate her parental rights and allow her children to be adopted. Sara has been given no plan to have contact with her children, let alone a way to work towards reunification, except to be released from detention. She won her immigration case for protection under the Convention Against Torture, but ICE has appealed the immigration court's decision forcing her to remain in jail while she fights the appeal

She does not meet ICE's current criteria for remaining incarcerated, as per the Feb 18, 2021 memo but they have chosen to keep her detained in spite of this. This directly contradicts Joe Biden's legislature and orders for ICE. In the simplest terms, she is being victim blamed for reporting abuse and this is unacceptable and illegal. 

To recap, Sara Mendez Morales is being illegally detained by ICE after being granted Asylum under the U.N sanctioned Convention Against Torture and is in imminent danger of losing her parental rights! 

Sara is a amazing woman who has remained hopeful and strong despite her circumstance. This is so urgent because everyday they keep her, she grows more and more distant from her children. ICE's power is going unchecked and need to be held accountable. No one in ICE responds to phone calls or any form of outreach, and will get away with this unless wide support is gained! Please do your part and share this petition with everyone you know and follow the guidance of the resources posted below: 

         Please begin by following the Instagram account following the situation: @Sueltaasarita

          This is the official press release on the situation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H0xKV3m_B2o3OP9MOV3eks0UKcNpcF2BCXqiNFm4czE/edit

          This google folder contains specific instructions on how to write a letter to ICE on Sara's behalf. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fAmumEH3CK4usIPz6k1U2Y4dZT7dX_L_

If you can not take any specific actions, please simply share and repost this petition and other information; it goes farther than you will ever know.