Prominent immigrant rights activist and NIJC client Abuelita Genoveva Ramirez, has been fighting a hard battle against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 67-year-old grandmother and great grandmother was told she had to permanently return to Mexico during a check-in appointment with ICE in August 2017, even though she had a pending application for a U visa, a special visa for victims of serious crimes. Abuelita Genoveva and community members from PASO-West Suburban Action Project and Organized Communities Against Deportation organized for months to prevent her deportation. In September 2017, NIJC joined the effort and represented Genoveva in filing a federal lawsuit to delay her deportation until her visa application was reviewed. In November 2017, the U.S. government granted Genoveva deferred action, protecting her from deportation while her U visa application is pending with the federal government.
Chicago Sun Times: Berwyn grandma no longer in imminent danger of deportation (11/2/2017)
Chicago Sun Times: EDITORIAL: A win for Berwyn grandma who faced deportation, and for us (11/2/2017)
Univision Nacional: Genoveva Ramírez y Felipe Diosdado, los inmigrantes mexicanos que luchan contra la deportación (11/2/2017)
Univision (WGBO-DT): Abuelita indocumentada de Chicago se anota un triunfo migratorio (11/2/2017)
Telemundo (WSNS): Se salva de la deportación abuelita de Chicago (11/2/2017)
Chicago Sun Times: Good news for Berwyn grandmother facing deportation: ‘I feel relieved’ (10/10/2017)
Univision: Postergan orden de deportación contra mujer hispana que demandó a ICE tras haber solicitado una visa (10/10/2017)
Lawndale News: Chicago Grandmother Facing Deportation Sues DHS (9/21/2017)
ABC7: Grandmother with pending visa paperwork sues over deportation (9/18/2017); Local leaders, community members rally in support of grandmother facing deportation (8/31/2017)
CBS2: Undocumented Grandmother Of 10 Faces ‘Appointment’ With Feds (5/29/2017)