by Alicia Freese July 3, 2013 vtdigger.org Danilo Lopez, an undocumented farm worker living in Vermont who was slated for deportation Friday, may be granted a temporary reprieve.
Instead of leaving the country, Lopez is filing an application for a ‘stay of removal,’which, if granted, could delay his deportation for up to a year.
Danilo Lopez (center) speaks before Gov. Peter Shumlin signs S.38. Natalia Fajardo translates. Photo by Alicia Freese/VTDigger
Natalia Fajardo, an activist with Migrant Justice, which has been advocating on behalf of Lopez, said a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) official ‘hinted’that Lopez would be a ‘strong candidate’for a ‘stay of removal.’If it’s granted, and if the U.S. Congress passes an immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, Fajardo said it’s possible the ‘stay of removal’will allow Lopez to apply for a work permit.
Lopez, a prominent immigrant rights advocate who was part of the successful lobbying effort this spring that won migrant workers the right to drive in Vermont, was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol in 2011 after state police pulled over a car he was riding in for a speeding violation.
Since then, the Vermont State Police has done away with the policy of referring people without proper documentation to the U.S. Border Patrol, although the practice still takes place among some local police departments, according to Fajardo.
Vermont’s congressional delegation, Gov. Peter Shumlin, and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger all wrote letters urging ICE to grant Lopez prosecutorial discretion. Supporters delivered a petition to ICE offices in Burlington, Mass., asking for the same.
The high-profile nature of Lopez’s situation has helped his case, Fajardo says. An ICE attorney told Migrant Justice members, ‘you’ve got a lot of ammo on your side.’