McAuliffe pardons mother detained by immigration officials
Alan Suderman, Associated Press
Updated 4:21 pm, Wednesday, May 24, 2017
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has pardoned a minor driving offense committed years ago by an immigrant mother of two, saying he hopes it will help prevent her deportation.
Immigration advocates have protested the arrest of 30-year-old Liliana Cruz Mendez of Falls Church, who was taken into custody this month after going with her lawyer to a check-in appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. They say her case is emblematic of tougher immigration policies under President Donald Trump.
McAuliffe acknowledged his pardon may not affect Cruz Mendez's case, but said he wants to send a "clear message that tearing this family apart will not make our Commonwealth or our country safer."
Cruz Mendez's children, 10 and 4, are U.S. citizens, and her husband has a work permit and is pursuing a green card, according to the advocacy group CASA.
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/McAuliffe-pardons-mother-detained-by-immigration-11170914.php