Chicago IL – (ENEWSPF)—December 29, 2014. An immigration judge has granted administrative closure to undocumented woman Beatriz Santiago-Ramirez who obtained sanctuary at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission on August 2014 – she stayed in sanctuary until her immigration case was reopened on November of the same year.
This recent judge order means that Beatriz gets the right to stay in the United States while waiting USCIS decision on her U visa application, this also means that Beatriz would not have to attend any future immigration deportation proceedings, her deportation case has been close. This great news comes after a long battle initiated by Beatriz, father Jose Landaverde, attorney Juan Soliz and the many supporters who rallied next to Beatriz.
Beatriz’s immigration attorney Juan Soliz, states the following in a letter to father Jose Landaverde:
“I am happy to inform you that today I received a copy of the Order of the Immigration Judge administratively closing the removal/deportation proceedings against Beatriz … this was done because we were able to show that a new U visa application had been filed on her behalf which is pending … I have every reason to expect [the U visa] will be granted in the near future.”
Father Jose Landaverde states,
“What we are seeing today with the case of Beatriz is the potential that organized communities have, especially when challenging injustices. We still need to continue fighting for the thousands and millions under deportation proceedings, for those who do not have access to financial and social resources, we need to demand a moratorium on all deportations, and continue to pressure for the legalization of all undocumented people.”
Background:
Beatriz was the victim of an aggravated criminal sexual assault in 2009. She cooperated fully with the investigation and testified against her attacker, leading to his conviction in 2011, Due to the Madison County State’s Attorney Office’s unreasonable refusal to sign a form affirming that Beatriz was a crime victim and that she cooperated with the investigation, she was not able to successfully apply for a U Visa and was order to be deported.
Beatriz, who resided in Southern Illinois, came to Chicago in August to request a meeting with Fr. Jose Landaverde and to ask for help and sanctuary because the likelihood of her deportation was looming ever closer. Father Jose Landaverde and the Mission offered sanctuary to Beatriz and her two young US citizen children.
Following a legal battle, in the month of November, an immigration judge in Kansas, Missouri reopened her case for a new hearing set for January 13, 2015. This was a victory for Beatriz and her supporters, since they would be able to challenge, in court, the government’s attempts to forcefully remove her from this country and from the separation of her US citizen children.
In that same month, following the reopening of her case, new forms were able to be filed with the immigration court, including the petition for U Visa and the a motion to administratively close the removal proceedings against Beatriz Santiago Ramirez.
A month later, in December Beatriz receives the great news that her deportation case has been administratively closed by judge order, this means that she does not have to appear in immigration court for the scheduled hearing set for January 13, 2015 anymore. She is now awaiting approval of her petition for U Visa. If granted Beatriz will be able to remained in the US with the authorization to work legally and with the opportunity of applying for permanent resident in the near future.
Source: Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission
