Florinda Lorenzo-Desimilian

Florinda Lorenzo-Desimilian Hyattsville, MD

On the evening of April 20, 2010 Florinda Lorenzo-Desimilian was at home with her three small children and her elderly father when she heard a knock on the kitchen window of her first floor apartment in Hyattsville, MD. She opened the small window and was asked by a Prince George’s undercover officer if she sold phone cards. As a stay-at-home mother, Florinda had begun to sell phone cards to earn some money. Within minutes of her selling the phone card to the undercover police officer, someone knocked on her kitchen window again. This time it was five uniformed officers demanding that she open her door.

Frightened, Florinda’s ten year old daughter opened the door and ran into the apartment buildings’ hallway. Without a word, or a search warrant the police rushed inside and ordered Florinda and her family to sit on the couch and not move. The police ripped through her apartment emptying her belongings on the floor. For more than fifteen minutes their search continued. Ultimately they handcuffed Florinda and placed her in a police car. Never during her arrest was Florinda asked about the welfare of her elderly father and her three small children. The youngest one, her thirteen month old son, still breast feeding.

Upon arrival at the Hyattsville police station, she was told, “Since you don’t speak English, I am sending you to jail.” Florinda was charged with operating a business without a proper license and housed in Prince George’s County Correctional Center in Upper Marlboro for three days until the charges against her were dropped. The same day she was released, ICE issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) before a federal immigration judge.

Florinda and her children are now destined to be deported August 4, 2012.

Florinda’s deportation could be devastating in more than one way. She suffers from a severe case of asthma for which she requires $600 worth of medicines and sprays. Fortunately, a doctor donates her medication to her every other month allowing her to control her outbreaks. Her youngest son Rafael has started to exhibit the same symptoms. Living in Guatemala with insufficient medical facilities and access would cause great risks to their lives.

“I hope that no other mother will have to live through what I went through.” Florinda Lorenzo-Desimilian

Maria Bolaños Hernandez

Maria Bolaños Hernandez Hyattsville, MD

Christmas Eve 2009, Maria Bolaños Hernandez, a 28-year-old undocumented worker living in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, became a victim of domestic violence. As the argument with the father of her two year old daughter turned heated and violent she picked up the phone and sought the police for protection. It is this call for help that would eventually separate her from her children and set her on a path towards deportation.

By the time Prince George’s Police responded to the call her

partner had left the apartment. Months later Maria came

home to an arrest warrant for her allegedly selling a $10

phone card to a neighbor – an unsubstantiated charge that

Maria denied and later the police dropped. Still, Maria was fingerprinted and accordance to the Federal

Government’s “Secure Communities” program her information was shared with I.C.E. officials and

deportation procedures were initiated even though no criminal charges were filed against her.

Maria spent five days in jail torn away from her small daughter, whom she was breastfeeding, not knowing if

she would be able to see her again. At an Upper Marlboro Detention Center she pleaded with the

authorities to let her feed her child, but her please were initially disregarded. A doctor at the Detention

Center eventually determined that she was breastfeeding and Maria was fitted with an electronic locator

ankle bracelet and sent home.

Unable to accept her deportation orders, she decided to speak out against “Secure Communities” program

and the dangers of local enforcement of immigration laws. In November of 2010, Maria traveled to

Washington D.C. to personally address David Venturella, a high level I.C.E. official and Director of Secure

Communities, and demand that her deportation be terminated.

Maria has continued to take many risks coming forward and

speaking out about the injustice she has faced and the helplessness

that is created when a community cannot trust their police.

“No, I wouldn’t call police again” Said Maria Bolaños. “I would be very afraid that my partner would hit me, but no, I would not call the police.”

Roxana Orellana Santos

Roxana Orellana Santos Frederick, MD

Roxana Santos is a current day civil rights hero. Like Rosa Parks, she has refused to take racially motivated disparate treatment sitting down.

October 7, 2008 she was sitting peacefully on a curbside, having lunch across from her job in a spot overlooking a duck pond. But, two officers from the Frederick County Police decided that, as a Latina, she was not entitled to sit there peacefully but rather should be subjected to questioning about her

immigration status. Thus it happened that, without evidence of any wrong-doing, having identified herself with a foreign passport, they proceeded to place her under arrest and she was subjected to a harrowing 45 days of incarceration, separated from her family and an infant she was still breast feeding.

Rather than humbly accept a path to deportation, initiated without probable cause, Roxana has fought back. On November 10, 2009, she filed a civil action against the Frederick County Police for wrongful arrest based on racial profiling and in violation of her civil rights. Simultaneously, battling against deportation proceedings, Roxana has thus far managed to remain in the US to fight her civil rights battle. Now that the case has overcome initial legal challenges; ICE has demanded her departure from the U.S. by September 30, under threat of removal. Despite the fact that she clearly fits the criteria detailed by the Obama administration for deferred action through prosecutorial discretion: a phantom form of relief that sounds great but that no one, not even someone as clearly worthy as Roxana has been able to access.

“I am afraid that I will not be able to see my children grow up in the country they call home…” Roxana Orellana Santos.

Ruth Elizabeth Diaz

Ruth Elizabeth Diaz Hyattsville, MD

Ruth Elizabeth Diaz lived her two year old son Randy Jacob Moreira-Diaz in a small apartment in Hyattsville, MD. On July 18, 2011, a disagreement with a tenant in Ruth‘s apartment turned violent. Ruth had to physically defend herself from her attacker until she could call the Prince George’s Police for help. When the police arrived at the apartment they arrested Ruth, the victim of attack, and the tenant. Ruth had thought that she could trust the police to protect her, but instead she was separated from her son, arrested, charged with second degree assault and transported to the Upper Marlboro Detention Center. Her records

were transferred to ICE due to the Secure Communities program.

Upon her release from the detention center she was immediately turned over to ICE. She was detained for several days; meanwhile Randy was fortunately taken care of by a friend. On July 21, 2011 Ruth was finally released and was free to see her son.

During her trial for her second degree assault the judge dismissed her case. Ruth has no criminal record and has never been arrested for any crime. Regardless her deportation still looms. Contrary to ICE’s June 17th Memos regarding prosecutorial discretion and the August 2011 Announcement that calls for discretion for persons who have an “a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse, child, or parent” and if the person is the primary caretaker of a minor. Ruth has a voluntary departure date of September 30, 2011. Unless her Deferred Action is granted she will have to leave this country.

Although, Ruth was born in El Salvador she no longer has ties to the country. She has no home, no family, and no friends that could help her take care of her small child. Randy will be subject to a greatly decreased quality of life and education if he and Ruth are forced to leave.

“I didn’t do anything wrong calling the police. I was the victim, but they arrested me anyway” - Ruth Diaz