Five days earlier, Arellano, a former airplane cleaner, refused to report for deportation to the Department of Homeland Security. Instead she took sanctuary in the Adalberto United Methodist Church in Humboldt Park, a largely Puerto Rican neighborhood of Chicago. She remains there with her seven-year-old son Saúl, a U.S. citizen.

As this reporter visited the church, dozens of others came by to show support by contributing water, food, clothing, and money.

Arellano, 31, who has lived in the United States since 1997, was arrested by FBI agents in December 2002 in a raid at O’Hare airport for allegedly using a false Social Security number. As a result of her public fight for the right to live and work here and the broad support she won, she was granted three one-year stays of deportation. Since taking sanctuary her case has received national and international coverage.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official Timothy Counts said Arellano was a “fugitive” and faces possible jail time.

Centro Sin Fronteras, an immigrant rights group organizing Arellano’s defense, has filed a lawsuit to stop her deportation, arguing that the rights of her son, a U.S. citizen, would be violated if his mother were expelled to Mexico.

Among groups supporting Arellano are the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement; the Coalition of African, Asian, Arabic, European and Latinos Immigrants Coalition; and the March 10 Movement, which helped organize the May 1 immigrant rights mobilization here. Several elected officials have also voiced support, including Rep. Luis Gutierrez and County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado. Mayor Richard Daley called for the postponement of her deportation.

On Sunday, August 27, four supporters of the rightist Minutemen showed up outside the Adalberto United Methodist Church demanding that government authorities carry out the deportation. Some 50 supporters of Arellano stood outside the church in her defense.

Rollande Girard is a sewing machine operator and member of UNITE HERE Local 39C in Chicago.
 
 
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