UPDATE (April 25, 2018)– ICE responded to this story says the woman and her husband were previously deported in 2007. Read more here.
Original story:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – An Indianapolis mother who has lived in the city for 30 years is facing deportation after she was arrested by immigration and customs agents last month.
“My name is Erika Fierro and I was brought here 30 years ago as a child,” said the young mother.
Fierro says immigration and customs enforcement agents showed up at her home last month and arrested her husband then coaxed her outside and put her in handcuffs.
“They got me out of my house with lies,” said Fierro. “They said ‘we are ICE and we are taking you’ and I said ‘why?’ Then they screamed back and said ‘you were not born here. You are not from here and you need to go back to your country.’”
Her husband, Jesus, is now in detention. Faith leaders in the community say both Jesus and Erika have no criminal history but believe a traffic stop where Jesus did not have a license led to the arrest. Homeland security has not yet returned FOX59’s calls for more information on Erika’s case.
Each week, Erika checks in with the Department of Homeland Security’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. But this time, the Beech Grove High School graduate showed up with the Archbishop of Indianapolis, Charles Thompson. Archbishop Thompson and other clergy are pushing to get Fierro a hearing with the director of Homeland Security to stop her deportation and keep her family together.
“Nothing much has changed. She has a couple weeks to get everything in order to be deported and basically they said that again today,” said Archbishop Thompson.
For now, Fierro prays she will be able to stay in Indianapolis with her kids where she says her and Jesus have made a peaceful life for their family.
“We are not criminals. We are good people that serve in our communities,” said Archbishop Thompson.
