Remember the case of Elvira Arellano? After residing in the U.S. illegally for several years and facing an order of deportation she barred herself in a Chicago church along with her U.S.-born son. She stayed in the church for a year until leaving it last August where she was subsequently arrested and deported. In the process, she was seen as a pariah by some and as a martyr by others.Now another illegal immigrant has sought refuge in the same church as Arellano had:
Flor Crisostomo, 28, who was arrested two years ago in a raid on the Chicago firm where she worked, was ordered to report to federal authorities Monday for deportation, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Instead, Crisostomo on Sunday entered Adalberto United Methodist Church to pray and consider her options. Church leaders said she planned to follow the lead of Elvira Arellano who lived at the church for 12 months before being arrested in Los Angeles and deported.
A statement from the Chicago office of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that Crisostomo (image) was given ample time to legalize her immigrant status and warned that she would be considered as “an immigration fugitive.” Yet she claimed that “immigrants are not terrorists” and that she is taking such an extreme measure for the good of her family.
Sources- Daily Herald, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, NBC5.com, UPI
Image- WBBM 780
