Stop Yosselin’s Deportation & Possible Death Sentence!
Secretary of of Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson
UPDATE 9/22/2016, 2:45pm: VICTORY!!
Guess what? I’m emailing you from outside the detention center! That’s right, DHS released me yesterday, and it’s all thanks to you! From flooding their office with petition signatures to jamming their phone lines and calling them out on social media, it’s because of your pressure that I’m safe at home with my family.
And while I am relieved, I can’t help but carry a heavy heart knowing all those I leave behind in the detention center - and the many who will be deported to their death - we cannot forget about them.
Above: My mom, step dad, step-grandmother and siblings received the exciting news of my release on their way to Washington, D.C. where they were preparing to ask Congressional offices with NIP-NLG and UWD staff to support our campaign to free me! Instead, they got the good news!!
As we continue to fight to change the systems that oppress us at the federal and local level, people will continue to fall through the cracks, so it’s critical we have each other’s back. And I know we will:
So many of you that I don’t even know supported me, a complete stranger, through one of the most difficult moments in my life - I will never be able to thank you enough. This is what makes the United We Dream and National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild community so special - our shared commitment to justice and each other.
Let’s continue to build, let’s invest in our shared liberation with just $8 or more!
Thank you again! I’m living proof that together, we are making a huge difference.
Yosselin
UPDATE 9/21/2016, 4:45pm: GOOD NEWS! Thanks to your pressure, Yosselin's case was re-opened! That means that we are one step closer to keeping her here in the U.S., safe with her family and community! However, she remains in detention. Please continue to share the petition with your social networks asking DHS to release her from detention now!
“I came to the U.S. during the summer of 2014, fleeing gender violence and threats of the MS 13 gang in El Salvador. I fear deportation because it could mean my death sentence."
These are the chilling words of 19 year-old Yosselin Herrera of El Salvador, who came to the US as an unaccompanied minor and is now facing imminent deportation. In the summer of 2014, Yosselin fled extreme violence in El Salvador seeking safety and reunification with her family in Siler City, North Carolina.
This petition is a collaboration between United We Dream & the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.
Sponsored by
To:
Secretary of of Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson
From:
[Your Name]
I am writing in support of Yosselin Herrera (A#206-464-651) asking that her deportation be stopped. I ask you review her request for immediate release.
Yosselin found herself in removal proceedings due to a broken immigration court system and receiving inadequate legal counsel.
These past two years, Yosselin has focused on school to make her parents proud and be a role model for her younger siblings. School is very important to her, since she aspires to be a forensic scientist.
She has been working very hard in hopes of realizing her dreams so that she can help others. She realizes the importance of studying and working hard academically in her aim to provide a positive example for her 6 year-old sister. In fact, this year she was recognized by her fellow classmates for her leadership abilities and participation in local community events.
Yosselin has a bright future ahead of her if given the opportunity. Please help her in her efforts to get released from detention and to stop her dangerous deportation.
Yosselin is not alone; she has strong community ties.
I ask that you release her from detention and stop the removal proceedings and allow Ms. Herrera to safely remain with her family and community in the US.
Thank you for your consideration of our wholehearted support for Ms. Herrera and a stop to her deportation.