Theresa Albano writes:
A Mississippi resident who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after she held a press conference, was released March 10 from detention after being held for almost two weeks.
Daniela Vargas, 22, walked out of LaSalle Detention Facility in Jena, La., around noon, her lawyers told the media in a March 10 phone news conference. Vargas has lived in the US since the age of seven, when she was brought here from Argentina.
“This is a moment for celebration,” Karen Tumlin, legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, said, “in what has been a terrifying set of months for the immigrant community and their families.”
Tumlin credited the community for the momentary victory.
Vargas garnered national attention after ICE agents arrested her immediately after she spoke to the media about a raid in which her father and brother were arrested.
The reaction in the media, including social media, was immediate, and according to her legal team, it made a difference.
“The protests meant a great deal,” Tumlin said. “Dany’s story touched the hearts of Americans.”
The lawyers said the Jackson community rallied around Vargas. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security John Kelly asking him to ensure that his department “exercises available discretion and looks upon her case favorably.”
Read the entire article here.
The solidarity and movement to free Daniela Vargas didn't fall from the sky. Jackson, Mississippi has a particularly advanced movement for social change led by people of color. The Jackson movement has much to teach all of us. If you are in the Salem area and want to support the movement in Jackson, please contact us.
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