Urge congress to return ICE deported oncology nurse Maria Mendoza Sanchez to U.S. (S.1763)

Movement:Deportation Relief for Immigrants

The Issue

Maria Mendoza Sanchez started as a nursing home housekeeper and became a respected oncology nurse serving underprivileged patients at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA.  She and her husband have lived in the U.S. over 20 years, raised their 4 children here, bought a house and had been good members of the community with no criminal records.  After 15 years of attempting to achieve permanent resident status, on August 17, 2017, ICE  deported Maria to Mexico with her husband, Eusebio, a truck driver.  

Maria was forced to break up her family, leaving her 16-year-old daughter in the U.S. to finish high school in the care of her 23-year-old daughter.  Too young to not be in the care of his parents, her 12-year-old son, who is a U.S. citizen and has only ever known California as his home, had to move to Mexico with Maria.  

12/21/17 UPDATE:  Maria’s 12-year-old son returned to Oakland, CA as he was unable to adjust to life in rural Mexico. He has returned to his family home and the care of his sisters. Heartbreaking. 

This is a travesty of justice and should never happen in the United States of America. What happened to only deporting criminals?

Dianne Feinstein has introduced a Senate Bill, S.1763 and Barbara Lee has introduced a House Bill, H.R.3818, to grant Maria, her husband and oldest daughter permanent residency.  Signing this petition shows your support for these bills

Maria’s family is very proud and reluctant to ask for help, but these heartless immigration policies have broken up their family and decimated their ability to support this once thriving family of 6. If you can help with a donation to their GoFundMe account, it is desperately needed. Thank you.

12/14/18 UPDATE:  Maria will be home this weekend and this fund is to help her get back on her feet after all these months away, please help if you can:
https://www.gofundme.com/mariafamilyfund

 

Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/mariabackhome/

 

avatar of the starter
Nancy MacKinnonPetition Starter
Media inquiries
Confirmed victory
This petition made change with 95,279 supporters!

The Issue

Maria Mendoza Sanchez started as a nursing home housekeeper and became a respected oncology nurse serving underprivileged patients at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA.  She and her husband have lived in the U.S. over 20 years, raised their 4 children here, bought a house and had been good members of the community with no criminal records.  After 15 years of attempting to achieve permanent resident status, on August 17, 2017, ICE  deported Maria to Mexico with her husband, Eusebio, a truck driver.  

Maria was forced to break up her family, leaving her 16-year-old daughter in the U.S. to finish high school in the care of her 23-year-old daughter.  Too young to not be in the care of his parents, her 12-year-old son, who is a U.S. citizen and has only ever known California as his home, had to move to Mexico with Maria.  

12/21/17 UPDATE:  Maria’s 12-year-old son returned to Oakland, CA as he was unable to adjust to life in rural Mexico. He has returned to his family home and the care of his sisters. Heartbreaking. 

This is a travesty of justice and should never happen in the United States of America. What happened to only deporting criminals?

Dianne Feinstein has introduced a Senate Bill, S.1763 and Barbara Lee has introduced a House Bill, H.R.3818, to grant Maria, her husband and oldest daughter permanent residency.  Signing this petition shows your support for these bills

Maria’s family is very proud and reluctant to ask for help, but these heartless immigration policies have broken up their family and decimated their ability to support this once thriving family of 6. If you can help with a donation to their GoFundMe account, it is desperately needed. Thank you.

12/14/18 UPDATE:  Maria will be home this weekend and this fund is to help her get back on her feet after all these months away, please help if you can:
https://www.gofundme.com/mariafamilyfund

 

Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/mariabackhome/

 

avatar of the starter
Nancy MacKinnonPetition Starter
Media inquiries

Confirmed victory

This petition made change with 95,279 supporters!

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The Decision Makers

Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee
Former US House of Representatives - California-13
Responded
“Thank you for joining this important petition in support of the Sanchez family. For more than twenty years, Maria & Eusebio Sanchez were longstanding residents of the East Bay, who were respectful neighbors and friends. Maria worked as a nurse at Highland Hospital, giving back to our community, and the family recently bought their first home in Oakland. Their story is the epitome of the American Dream. The cruel and heartless deportation of the Sanchezes tore apart their family and emphasized how broken our immigration system truly is. Despite our calls for compassion, and the Administration's insistence that it would prioritize the deportation of those with serious criminal records, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement heartlessly deported the Sanchezes, forcing them to leave their daughters here to care for themselves. That is unacceptable. Instead of tearing families apart, we need comprehensive immigration reform that creates a path to citizenship for those like Maria and Eusbio who are well-respected members of our communities but lack immigration status. Until then, we need to support and protect our undocumented neighbors. That's why in Congress I have introduced H.R. 3818, to provide permanent resident status for the Sanchez family and I will not rest until we bring Maria and Eusebio back home to Oakland where they belong. Know that I will continue the fight to improve our immigration system and protect immigrant families. We must all work to resist this Administration's heartless immigration policies that reject the core values of our nation. Thank you again for your support of this petition. Sincerely, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA 13)”
Mayor Libby Schaaf
Mayor Libby Schaaf
Mayor of Oakland, California
Responded
“Maria represents the best of Oakland – a dedicated registered nurse at Highland Hospital who has cared for our residents in their most vulnerable moments, as well as a loving wife and mother of four children. She and Eusebio epitomize the Oakland spirit; they are devoted members of our community, proud parents of highly accomplished students, and we honor and support their family as they face this life changing moment. As mayor of Oakland, I believe in keeping families together. The Trump administration’s arbitrary and cruel enforcement of immigration policies tears families apart. Our community needs Maria and Eusebio Sanchez. We will do everything in our power to reunite Maria with her family, her patients, and our fellow Oaklanders. Sincerely, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf”
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Former US Senate - California
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Petition created on September 20, 2017