Salma Sikandar is the proud mother of a gifted teenager, looking forward to her only child’s first semester at Quinnipiac University in 3 weeks. ICE wants to deport her 3 days before her US citizen son starts college.
Why is this important?
Salma arrived in the US from Bangladesh in 1999 and has not left since. She’s a crew member at a McDonald’s near her home and has dutifully checked into INS/ICE for many years- always having her work permit approved and getting told she “is not a priority.”
This year, ICE told her to buy a one-way plane ticket to Bangladesh and leave the US by August 23rd.
Just like so many hardworking immigrants who have followed the rules for 10, 20, and sometimes 30 years, Homeland Security’s arbitrary decision to separate this kind and loving family came as a complete shock. At a routine check-in on muggy day at the end of July, Homeland Security put a large black electronic monitoring device on Salma's ankle and told her to check in two times a week for the next 4 weeks. And then fly to a country she has not seen in 18 years, leaving her loving husband and college son behind.
Salma has 2 pending immigration matters, including a court hearing scheduled for July 15, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. There is no compelling reason to break up Salma's family. It's unnecessary. It’s cruel. It’s un-American.
Stand with Salma and her family and stop this cruel family separation at the hands of the Department of Homeland Security.
Tell ICE- STOP SEPARATING FAMILIES!
Enough is enough!
Charla Nich, Vanesa Suarez, Terra Martin-Volpe
CT Shoreline Indivisible, Unidad Latina en Accion, Action Together CT
CT Shoreline Indivisible