Vol. 71/No. 32      September 3, 2007

Arellano, 32, is a former airline cleaner at O’Hare airport in Chicago. She was arrested and ordered deported following a workplace raid in 2002. For the last year she has been in sanctuary at Adalberto United Methodist church in Chicago. Fifteen ICE agents surrounded the car she was riding in August 19 and arrested her outside the La Placita church in Los Angeles. She was deported to Tijuana, Mexico, eight hours later.

Arellano came to Los Angeles to speak at four churches on the fight for legalization and against the separation of immigrant families. Her plan was to go from here to Washington, D.C., to join in a demonstration in front of Congress September 12, when that body reconvenes. “We always knew it was a possibility that she would be arrested,” said Walter Coleman, the pastor at Adalberto United Methodist church.

Arellano’s eight-year-old son, Saúl, was a featured guest at a march of more than 1,000 people through downtown Los Angeles August 18. That action called for legalization of undocumented immigrants and an end to the raids and deportations.

Participants included religious figures; members of the Emergency Rapid Response Network, a coalition that opposes immigration raids; members and officials of Service Employees International Union Local 1877; students from the University of California, Los Angeles; and activists from Bienestar, a Latino HIV and Aids advocacy organization.

Bienestar had previously scheduled a vigil at the federal building for the same time. They are protesting the death of Victoria Arellano, no relation to Elvira Arellano, in ICE custody. Victoria Arellano was HIV positive when arrested by ICE. After being denied treatment in the ICE detention center, she developed pneumonia and died. Bienestar agreed to join the protest for Elvira Arellano and reschedule theirs for one week later. Coral López, a member of Bienestar, said that when she passed the ICE detention center on her way to the rally, prisoners who saw her sign chanted, “estamos contigo” [we are with you].

Angelica Salas, the executive director of CHIRLA, said there were going to be protests and vigils for Elvira Arellano across the country. She stated, “There will be actions in Oregon, Florida, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin over the next few days. There continue to be protests at the church in Chicago where she had sanctuary.” In Los Angeles, there will be a protest march downtown Saturday, August 25, at noon from Olympic and Broadway to City Hall.

In Tijuana, Arellano said she plans to continue the struggle from Mexico. “This is a very important time for the people to stand up and continue fighting for what they want, which is legalization for their families,” she told the Los Angeles daily La Opinión. “I don’t feel defeated. I have won a lot, because I decided to fight from the moment I was arrested in 2002. I didn’t stay silent because I am part of this great fight for legalization.”  
 
 
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