Defending Liliana & Sanctuary: Liliana's Story
By: DL
Abstract: Yesterday's victory outside of the church defiantly defending against racist Save our State, the dinner to follow and personal story Liliana and husband shared, and the 3 other families also taking sanctuary in greater Los Angeles Area.
7/29/07 Yesterday was an eventful day at St. Luke's Church in Long Beach. The morning was welcomed by about 30 Save our State protesters carrying signs saying "DEPORT LILIANA" and similar, in protest of a mother of 3 children who, after receiving deportation orders has taken refuge and sanctuary in St. Luke's Episcopal Church.
In the long run, gracias to the SOS because it brought out so many supporters for Liliana and her family to see--over a hundred showed up in support of Liliana's sanctuary, at least tripling the numbers of the SOS.
Later that day, about 30 people returned (or stayed) and cooked food to share with Liliana and family. Everyone gave introductions of who they were and sharing their support of LIliana and family, then Liliana and her husband told us their very amazing story.
Liliana met her husband in 1998, and it wasn't too long before they married, very much in love. They soon gave birth to their first child, and Liliana began applying for legal status with her husband already a legal resident preparing for U.S. citizenship. The immigration proceedings were going well, Liliana even had a California Drivers License.
After a while, Liliana learned in one of her legal proceedings that they had discovered a failed attempt many years back of her trying to cross the border at Tijuana using a false birth certificate which--at the time--she hardly even understood what it was or what it might later signify in her immigration proceedings.
So--all of her legal status was revoked and she was told that she would be deported. This was somewhere around 2003. The U.S. government WILL pardon or "forgive" certain criminals in this situation--but, they would not "forgive" or pardon the so called "crime" of a hard working, coupon-cutting mother of three who wished to stay united with her family.
For some reason--perhaps an act of God as Liliana feels, the case was never followed up on and essentially closed. Liliana was never addressed again about her legal status, and she simply carried on with her kids, tending to her children while her husband works two jobs, taking them to and from school, and other domestic duties that she has grown to love as her routine with her family.
Until one day--about 4 years later--ICE paid a visit to her door. Ironically, Liliana had just been watching television 3 days prior watching ICE agents taking immigrants away, and sympathizing with them, saying --"oh, those poor people" never in her wildest dream thinking that would ever be her.
Then, the knock came on her door that quiet weekday morning, and she saw on the people outside the door--at first she only saw the sign "POLICE" on their uniform, and she opened the door thinking innocently--well, they must be looking for someone and she responded to help. Then, after they came in, she saw the ICE decal on the BACK of their uniform--and she started to cry.
Why are you crying? the agents asked her. "Because I see that you are ICE, not just the police", and she knew they were there for her.
In tears, she starts explaining to her husband, and her children at her side that immigration was there, and begging the agents--"Please don't take me away from my children! Who will take care of my children! My husband works two jobs, he doesn't know [or is able to] do anything about getting their immunizations at the doctors, or grocery shopping, taking them to school---they need me. Please don't take me away from my baby--he needs me and is still breastfeeding"
Her children started asking--"mommy--are they going to take you away?!" But, she kept reassuring them, even with ICE agents in her living room--that she was NOT going anywhere, and would not be taken away.
There were several amazing moments of negotiation that occurred during this time--but they still insisted they were taking her right then, deporting her, and as soon as they took her--that would be the end of the case, it would be permanently closed and she could never return to the U.S.--home of her children, husband, mother, father, and 7 brothers (all of which are U.S. citizens and/or legal residents).
Then--her husband looked at one of the ICE agents, and he saw that had a wedding ring on. He begins to talk to him--beseeching him--what would he do in his situation? How would he feel if his wife and mother of his children were to be taken away from them, from their home? He still feels that the agent was important in what was to come--that they had reached some sort of human understanding.
But--as the baby began to cry in the other room and the husband arose to get the baby--that was when the other ICE agent said to grab Liliana--while her husband would be in the other room. She cried--and said she had no shoes--so the agent grabbed her shoes, then Liliana refused to put them on.
Then, still surrounded by her scared and horrified children--she begs the officers again--please, if this is was is to happen, then give me a few days to prepare my family for this, Let me turn myself in on my own, because I have always taught my children that the only time you see people taken away in handcuffs is because they are criminals, please don't let me children see me like this! I am not a criminal.
At first, they said fine--we'll give you two days. She said no--that's not enough time. One week--she says next, I need one week to prepare my family, and I will turn myself in so my children can see with still with dignity.
And--as if only by a miracle as they recount it--they granted her her wish, and told her she 7 days, and warned her husband that if he did not follow through with this, that he would suffer grave consequences and perhaps even lose his job, or his citizenship be questioned.
They agreed, and miraculously, the ICE agents left. Liliana immediately began to take action. She called her mother, her family became alerted and all of them took concern for her well-being and began checking on her. She found a lawyer to consult, and then Hermandad Mexicana who then referred her back to the same lawyer she initially had talked to.
By this point, she was afraid--afraid to even take her kids to school, afraid to drive her car. The lawyer met with her, and then she was with a Padre from local church, and eventually helped her find her way to the sanctuary of church in Long Beach, although she comes from Ventura County and at the time there was no available church prepared to receive her.
The love and commitment between Liliana, her husband and children is just so beautiful to behold. To see them telling their story, Liliana grabbing a hold of her husbands arm as she and he both swallow down tears of emotion in just recounting their story. Their little baby---Pablito in their arms, their two older children chanting in the hallway in front he of Telemundo reporter--"Pablito! Amigo! El Pueblo estan contigo!"
All of this is just a glimpse of the reality of the thousands of family members facing deportation orders at any given day in this country. Liliana is asking for and end to the deportations, for humanity to be included in our laws--to pardon hers and others use of false identification when they are not criminals but hard working, good people.
There are actually 4 separate parents taking sanctuary just in the greater Los Angeles region alone! Liliana is only one of them, with a mother from Guatemala also taking refuge in an L.A. church, a father from Guatemala taking sanctuary in another church near Placita Olvera, and another father taking sanctuary in a North Hollywood church.
The next action proposed from the group who met last night is to hold a candlelight vigil building solidarity with Liliana otuside the church, and perhaps each of our collective movements or groups picking a church and/or family that is closest to them and holding the same vigil outside any of the four churchs simultaneously.
The date and time proposed (tentatively) is Friday, Aug. 17th, 7:30pm (to allow for working people), and this time--to have the vigil outside of the church conclude with entering the church and sharing cafe y pan with the person inside taking sanctuary--allowing community members and activists alike the opportunity to personally meet and acquaint themselves with the people who are currently taking the valiant and courageous lead on building the sanctuary movement.
For more information, email:
frenchtoast2020@yahoo.com
uprising@sbcglobal.com