Manuel Needs Help, Not Deportation! Keep Him Home!
Manuel is currently being held at Jena Detention Center in Louisiana and faces deportation to a country he hasn't been to since he was 3 years old. If deported, he will be separated from his family and his U.S. citizen wife.
Make a Phone Call:
Call ICE Director John Morton (202) 732-3000
Sample Script: “Hi, I am calling to ask that ICE release Manuel Mendoza (A# 72452041) from Jena Detention Center in Louisiana. Manuel has been living in the U.S. for 20 years. He has a U.S. citizen wife and a family who misses him. Manuel went through a difficult childhood and is now trying to turn his life around. Don't deport Manuel."
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The Petition
To Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, John Morton; and Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano:
I am writing to call on the immediate release of Manuel Mendoza (A# 72452041) from Jena Detention Center in Louisiana and urge ICE to stop his deportation.
My brother, Manuel Mendoza-Romero has been living in the United States over 20 years. He has lived in Alabama since he was 6 years old and considers the U.S. his home. He has three U.S. citizen sisters including me, legal resident parents, and is married to a U.S. citizen. Although Manuel has been living in this country for nearly his entire life, he is still detained and faces deportation.
When my brother was only 17 years old, he witnessed his younger brother get shot and murdered. The impact of seeing our brother die in front of him and trying to save his life was traumatizing for Manuel. After our brother’s death, it was hard for me and my family to communicate with Manuel and he became more distant and isolated. The emotional and psychological effects of this traumatic experience caused Manuel to act differently.
The grief got Manuel into trouble and he was arrested for two charges from 2006 and was convicted in 2008 for receiving stolen property in the 1st degree and burglary in the 3rd degree. Manuel was sentenced to 10 years in jail but it was suspended because he did not have previous charges. Instead, he was given probation. Manuel was called to see his probation officer and, once there, was picked up by ICE. My brother has stated that he wants to better his life for his family. However, he was immediately put into deportation proceedings even though he had a green card application that was approved in 2002.
My brother has been turning his life around and has since married and is looking forward to creating a better life for himself and his family. While in detention, Manuel has been working on obtaining his GED so he can provide for his family. Manuel suffered a traumatic experience at a young age and deserves a second chance to build a new life for himself, his wife, and loved ones.
Manuel wants nothing more than to be near us and wife. I have been having panic attacks, his wife is seeking medication for depression, and our parents are distraught over my brother's situation. Manuel has been living in this country since age 3, yet he finds himself fighting his deportation from the only country he knows. If deported, Manuel will be separated from all of us. Help us continue to make his life better and stay with his family.
I urge you to please release my brother, Manuel Mendoza (A# 72452041), from Jena Detention Center in Louisiana.