Edith Espinal Meets with ICE, followed by Sen. Portman’s Office, for First Time in 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 10, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, 540-280-3393
Rev. Dan Clark, dclark@faithinpubliclife.org, 614-648-3663
Edith Espinal Meets with ICE, followed by Sen. Portman’s Office, for First Time in 2022
Edith Espinal, “Next Friday, February 18th, I have one year of freedom. I’m happy to have my freedom, but it’s not enough because I need to keep fighting for my case.”
Columbus, OH – On Thursday, February 10, Edith Espinal, joined by faith and community leaders, met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to discuss her case. This has been her third meeting with ICE since leaving sanctuary on 2/18/21. Edith will have to continue meeting with them every six months.
Following the meeting with ICE, Edith alongside Miriam Vargas and Columbus faith leaders, met virtually with Senator Rob Portman’s office.
For a recording of participants’ statements regarding that meeting, please click here.
Participants asked Sen. Portman’s office to support updating the immigration registry date, from 1972 to 2010, which would put green cards within the reach of millions of longtime immigrants who live and work in our nation’s communities, in an effort to provide citizenship for all.
Edith Espinal, lived in sanctuary at Columbus Mennonite Church
“I still have my deportation order. Next Friday, February 18th, I have one year of freedom. I’m happy to have my freedom, but it’s not enough because I need to keep fighting for my case.”
Miriam Vargas, lived in sanctuary at First English Lutheran Church
“In February, we’ve been free for a year. It’s been a very difficult process. I’m always in fear that they will separate me from my family.”
Pastor Joel Miller, Columbus Mennonite Church
“When we are advocating for a path to citizenship for Edith and Miriam and the millions like them, we are saying, praying, that we as a nation be part of the right story. We believe this is not only right, just, and possible, but that we are all blessed, we all benefit, when we welcome and embrace rather than wall off, detain, and deport. We are looking to leaders like Senator Portman to help us live out this story and we will cheer him on as he does this.”
Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr., Ohio Council of Churches
“Today, O God, we aspire for laws that reflect your vision of human flourishing, policies that enable those of your children who live as longtime immigrants in the United States to stride along a pathway to citizenship. You have blessed these families and individuals with jobs and communities of service through which they contribute to the common good and to the progress of the nation. They deserve the enacted and protected pathway to citizenship.”
Beatriz Maya, Director of La Conexion, NW Ohio region
“All we are asking for is to open up legal channels so that people can be processed, DREAMERS can get their documentation and all of us can work and live in peace.”
Rev. Dan Clark, Ohio Director, Faith in Public Life
“We call on Sen. Portman and all his colleagues in the U.S. Senate to ensure that there is an update to the registry date for DREAMERS, TPS-holders .. and to ultimately provide an inclusive pathway for citizenship for all.”
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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, with a network of over 50,000 leaders, they are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level that affirm our values and the human dignity of all.