Dear President Biden, Vice President Harris, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,

Three years ago, Edith Espinal sought sanctuary inside the Columbus Mennonite Church to protect herself and her family from deportation during the Trump Administration. It was a life-or-death decision for them.

Since then, she and others living in sanctuary have faced retaliation for speaking out against the injustices perpetrated by the Trump administration. They’ve faced threats of criminal prosecution by ICE and exorbitant fines–up to $500,000–by the Department of Homeland Security, with the intent of using the money to fund the construction of the southern border wall.

During Biden’s campaign, he recognized that the Trump administration had “waged an unrelenting assault on our values and our history as a nation of immigrants.With the following actions, President Biden, VP Harris, DHS Secretary Mayorkas can change the future for Edith’s family and the other families stuck in sanctuary:

  1. Exercise immediate favorable prosecutorial discretion and grant a stay of removal for Edith’s case and for all those who are also living in sanctuary;
  2. Lift the deportation order against Edith and those of us living in sanctuary, within the first 100 days in office;
  3. Sign a private bill from Congress on Edith Espinal family’s behalf, and all other private bills that reach your desk on behalf of people living in sanctuary;

Please send a message to President Biden, VP Harris, and DHS Secretary Mayorkas to stop forcing people to hide in sanctuary, and start treating immigrant families with dignity!