In March, Maria was deported after being kidnapped at the Downey courthouse in California. In a matter of moments, a mother was separated from her family — from her partner, her 5-year-old son, and her 3-year-old daughter.
Every day since, the children have cried for their mother. And every day, Maria has cried for them.
After weeks of navigating impossible circumstances, their father made the painful decision to have the children repatriate to Peru so they could finally be reunited with their mother.
The
@sela.rrn Sela Rapid Response Network collective — who do ICE watch and frontline accompaniment to protect our communities — learned about the case and began organizing support for the family. Because of past accompaniment work, Pastor
@pastoradavaliente Ada Valiente and I were asked to travel with the children to Lima, Peru to help reunite this family safely.
We are currently on our way to Peru.
@activatelabs Activate Labs exists to support frontline communities and social movements through solidarity, accompaniment, and collective care. This is what community looks like. This is what mutual aid looks like.
Please support the work to reunite Maria and her family
GoFundMe for Maria & Her Children
/f/reunite-maria-ysa-with-her-children
And if you are able, please support the ongoing work of Sela RNN and the people on the frontlines doing accompaniment, ICE watch, rapid response, and protection work for immigrant families every day.
No child should have to live without their mother because of a system built on fear and separation.
