Edith Espinal Meets with ICE, followed by Sen. Portman’s Office for First Time in 2022

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES

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

Columbus, OH – On Thursday, February 10, at 9:45 a.m., Edith Espinal, joined by faith and community leaders, will meet with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. 

Supporters will gather for a prayer of sending as Edith and a small group of allies will enter the local ICE field office while Edith’s community of support stands vigil. Edith will be available to the media before and after meeting with ICE officials. 

Following the meeting with ICE, Edith alongside Miriam Vargas and Columbus faith leaders, will meet virtually with Senator Rob Portman’s office at 2 p.m. This meeting will be closed to press, but participants will be available for interviews following the 2 p.m. meeting. Pre-recorded video of participants’ statements will be sent out to the media as well. 

Participants will ask Sen. Portman’s office to support updating the 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. Updating the registry date would offer a form of universal relief to DREAMers, TPS-holders and other long-time community members who call this country home.

Pastor Joel Miller, Columbus Mennonite Church

“We are thrilled Edith is now living with her family in Columbus after nearly four years of being threatened with deportation. But little progress has been made for her to be granted permanent residency in the US. We need Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship for Edith and people in similar situations.”

WHAT:

Edith Espinal and faith leaders meet with ICE and Sen. Portman’s office

WHEN:

ICE Meeting: Thursday, February, 10th at 9:45 a.m.

Sen. Portman Meeting: Thursday, February, 10th at 2 p.m.

WHERE:

ICE Field Office

675 Brooksedge Boulevard

Westerville, OH 43081

Sen. Portman Meeting will be held virtually in a closed to press meeting, with participants recorded remarks sent out after. 

WHO:

• Edith Espinal, lived in sanctuary at Columbus Mennonite Church
• Miriam Vargas, lived in sanctuary at First English Lutheran Church
• Rev. Dan Clark, Faith in Public Life, Ohio Director
• Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr., Ohio Council of Churches 
• Rev. Sally Padget, First English Lutheran Church
• Mia Coward, Faith in Public Life
• Paisha Thomas, Faith in Public Life, Translator
• Beatriz Maya, Director of La Conexion, NW Ohio region
• Sarah Twitchell, NW Ohio Immigrant Rights Network
• Rev. Joel Miller, Columbus Mennonite Church

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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.