SAN FRANCISCO - After launching a public campaign last month, the Lee and Rahayuningsih families successfully urged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to grant prosecutorial discretion, halting their deportations. The Our Families Matter campaign collected over 1,600 signatures to target ICE to stop the separation of these immigrant families.
The Rahayuningsihs' daughter, Putri Siti, was permitted to stay last year through the Obama Administration's deferred action policy for undocumented youth, while her parents faced deportation.
"The public support has been overwhelming and I am so grateful that my parents will be able to stay with me. It was a painful and agonizing experience that no family should ever have to go through. Deferred action for youth is not enough when our parents and loved ones continue to be at risk," said Putri Siti.
The Lee family was also facing deportation to Brazil after escaping persecution over a decade ago. "My family can now rest at ease knowing that we can stay together and care for my brother, Alex, who is still recovering from brain cancer. We hope for the same relief to be granted to all families," states Wei Lee, the youngest son.
With over 1.7 million deportations, the Administration continues to separate families through unprecedented levels of immigration enforcement. ICE stated in a previous policy that it would dismiss low priority deportation cases, including those against long-term residents. However, ICE has rarely followed the policy.
"Community support was essential in pressuring ICE to grant prosecutorial discretion in both cases. Public pressure is mounting and until immigration reform is passed, we will continue seeing families separated by deportation," said Alison Pennington, Staff Attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, who is representing the two families.
