Grant Arturo Hernández Garcia's Stay of Deportation

Arturo Hernández, married for 21 years, has two daughters, a 19-year-old in the DACA process and an 13-year-old U.S. citizen. He and his family have lived in Colorado for 19 years. Arturo is a small business owner and started his company as a subcontractor in the construction industry in 2008. He provides employment for an average of 8 or 9 people annually. Since leaving Sanctuary he has organized and advocated for better policies and educated thousands of citizens on the realities of our immigration system. Arturo has worked hard for himself and his family and has helped to employ others. ICE detained Arturo on April 26th, 2017, at his workplace despite a letter from ICE indicating he would not be deported. Community won his release and Senator Bennet introduced a private bill that gave Arturo a stay of deportation until March 15, 2019. Join us in asking immigration to extend his stay another year as his family's court case continues.

The Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition welcomed Arturo into sanctuary October 19th at First Unitarian Society of Denver. We continue to act on our commitment to welcome and accompany our immigrant neighbors into our community because we are called upon to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Arturo is our neighbor, and his threat of deportation is a threat to our entire community. We do not accept anyone's right to tear apart loving families in our community. We chose to bring Arturo into sanctuary two years ago because it was just, and believed the injustice of our immigration policy is an offense against our community and our faith.

Because of the significant suffering his deportation would cause his daughters, his wife and the families of his employees, we ask that his deportation be stopped immediately and that he be granted a stay of removal so he can stay with his family. We urge you to Sign and Share this petition asking Director Lynch to grant Arturo a stay of removal. Such action would not only be in line with the teaching of our faith traditions, but true to the values of our communities and nation.
Please read the letter to Jeffrey Lynch, Deputy Field Office Director of the Denver ICE office below, sign your name, and press submit to add your name to Arturo’s petition requesting a stay of removal on his deportation! Help us keep up the momentum by sharing widely and asking your friends to do the same!

Dear Mr. Lynch,
I am writing to ask that you stop the deportation of Arturo Armando Hernandez Garcia A#087-952-389 and grant him a stay of removal so he can remain with his family.
Arturo Hernández, married for 18 years, has two daughters, a 17-year-old in the DACA process and a 11-year-old U.S. citizen. He and his family have lived in Colorado for 17 years. Arturo is a small business owner and started his company as a subcontractor in the construction industry in 2008. He provides employment for an average of 8 or 9 people annually.
In 2010, Arturo was arrested by the local police of the City of Lonetree, while working construction, where he was verbally assaulted and wrongly accused of threatening an American with a knife. He was arrested, and when he arrived at the jail, he was placed on an immigration "hold." He was detained by immigration without having been found guilty of the charges and having his day in court. He later proved his innocence in court, so in late 2010 they withdrew the criminal charges and he was acquitted.
Although the courts found him innocent, deportation proceedings with ICE continued and on April 26th, 2017 he was detained at his workplace despite a letter from ICE indicating he would not be deported. Arturo has viable legal options to remain in the US, including an application his in-laws submitted in 2005 that is still pending and whose priority date is currently being challenges in court. Because of the significant suffering of his daughters, wife and the families of his employees, we ask that his deportation be stopped immediately and that he be granted a stay of removal so he can stay with his family while he awaits the court's decision.