April 25, 2015 — After five years in court proceedings this afternoon immigration judge, Eva S. Saltzman, granted Lulú Martinez’s petition to remain in the country during a final asylum hearing.
“I feel very excited and overwhelmed. This victory could not have been possible without the support of my legal team and the community behind me. Thank you. But this is not just about me, this is bigger than my case. This is about the movement that continues, about the fight to stop deportations, the fight to organize. The fight continues,” Martinez stated after the hearing.
Even though the judge granted the asylum, there will be one more hearing on May 1st before the case is finalized. During that hearing ICE council will put into the record of their objections to the asylum claim, but the decision from the judge is not expected to change. However, ICE still has 30 days to chose to appeal the decision, after which the case would be sent to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in Virginia.
Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) is an undocumented-led group that fights deportations and criminalization of Black, Brown, and immigrant communities in Chicago and surrounding areas. Find out more at www.organizedcommunities.org