Mexican woman who sought refuge in Little Village church likely here to stay: attorney

A Mexican woman who avoided deportation for months by taking refuge in a Little Village church will likely be allowed to stay in the U.S., her attorney said Monday.

That news comes after federal immigration Judge Paula V. Davis issued a ruling on Dec. 16 that closed deportation proceedings against Beatriz Santiago-Ramirez, 32, a single mother of two young American children.

Federal authorities, who initially sought the woman’s deportation, did not object to the case being closed, according to court papers.

“It was very difficult. I was afraid but now I am not because of this news,” Santiago-Ramirez said in Spanish, with her attorney Juan M. Soliz translating.

Since September, Santiago-Ramirez, her 3-year-old son and her infant daughter have been cooped up inside Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, 2955 W. 25th St. She was invited to stay there by the Rev. Jose Landaverde, an immigration activist and Sanctuary Movement proponent.

While no law explicitly barred immigration officials from removing Santiago-Ramirez from the church, authorities have historically avoided such confrontations with religious leaders.

The Sanctuary Movement dates back to the 1980s, when churches around the U.S. took in Central American refugees who were threatened with deportation after fleeing political turmoil at home.

Now that the judge has closed her deportation case, Santiago-Ramirez is free to leave the confines of the church. And she hopes to soon find work, said Soliz, who expects her U.S. visa application will be approved within the next two months.

“She was doing the best she could under very desperate situations,” said Soliz, who added that President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration would not likely have applied to Santiago-Ramirez. “It’s like being in church but in prison too, because you don’t have the liberty to walk the streets freely.”

Soliz said the fact that Santiago-Ramirez, who was initially slated for deportation in 2010, had her case come back before a judge was the result of a court error. Because Santiago-Ramirez was not given proper notice of legal proceedings involving her, Soliz said he was able to request that her case be reopened.

At a subsequent court date, Soliz showed that Santiago-Ramirez had a pending U.S. visa application.

She also earned good will by assisting prosecutors in downstate Mason County, testifying as a prosecution witness in a criminal court case. When Santiago-Ramirez’s immigration case was reopened, Soliz presented proof from prosecutors of her assistance.

Still, Soliz said she could face deportation again if her U.S. visa application is turned down and the feds request to reopen her case.

But he doubts that will happen, saying she had a “very strong” application.

“She now anxiously awaits permission to work and for her [visa[ application to be granted . . . so that she can continue with her life, feed her children and support her family,” Soliz said.