To: Rohan Patel, Special Assistant to the President, Jeh Johnson, Homeland Security Secretary, Sarah Saldana, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director, Daniel Ragsdale, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director, Megan Mack, Civ...
Stop Trump: Education Not Deportation for Gay Dreamer
Exercise favorable prosecutorial discretion and approve Felipe’s (A# 206-252-347) stay of removal
Why is this important?
Felipe de Jesus Molina Mendoza (A# 206-252-347) is a proud graduate of Durham Public Schools. Felipe graduated from Riverside High School in 2009 with a 3.8 GPA with dreams of attending UNC Chapel Hill and majoring in nursing. Despite graduating from a North Carolina public school, Felipe was facing out-of-state tuition, a sum so great higher education became unrealistic. Left with no other option, Felipe returned to Mexico to continue his academic studies.
Felipe faced discrimination and prejudice in Mexico, which led to a rapid decline in Felipe’s mental health. Felipe faced various instances of being persecuted, stalked and assaulted because of his sexual orientation. At one point, a group of men threw beer bottles at Felipe and his then boyfriend. Felipe reported the incident to the police but the police refused to act. Instead, these government officials blamed Felipe for holding hands with his boyfriend. Another time, Felipe and his boyfriend were stopped and frisked by the police and ordered not to kiss in public.
With Mexican authorities refusing to protect Felipe, Felipe faced no other option but applying for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. During Felipe’s time in detention, Felipe was targeted by detainees and officers. Felipe was harassed, intimidated and falsely accused. Felipe and other LGBT immigrants were, then, segregated in a cell in direct view of a detention officer.
Despite the fact that Felipe’s life is in danger in Mexico, Felipe was ordered deported in March 2016 and an appeal is, currently, pending. Two months ago, Felipe enrolled at Durham Technical Community College. Felipe’s dreams were crushed, again, after receiving a deportation notice from Immigration & Customs Enforcement this past Christmas Eve.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, exercise favorable prosecutorial discretion and approve Felipe’s (A# 206-252-347) stay of removal.
Felipe faced discrimination and prejudice in Mexico, which led to a rapid decline in Felipe’s mental health. Felipe faced various instances of being persecuted, stalked and assaulted because of his sexual orientation. At one point, a group of men threw beer bottles at Felipe and his then boyfriend. Felipe reported the incident to the police but the police refused to act. Instead, these government officials blamed Felipe for holding hands with his boyfriend. Another time, Felipe and his boyfriend were stopped and frisked by the police and ordered not to kiss in public.
With Mexican authorities refusing to protect Felipe, Felipe faced no other option but applying for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. During Felipe’s time in detention, Felipe was targeted by detainees and officers. Felipe was harassed, intimidated and falsely accused. Felipe and other LGBT immigrants were, then, segregated in a cell in direct view of a detention officer.
Despite the fact that Felipe’s life is in danger in Mexico, Felipe was ordered deported in March 2016 and an appeal is, currently, pending. Two months ago, Felipe enrolled at Durham Technical Community College. Felipe’s dreams were crushed, again, after receiving a deportation notice from Immigration & Customs Enforcement this past Christmas Eve.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, exercise favorable prosecutorial discretion and approve Felipe’s (A# 206-252-347) stay of removal.