EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Immigration activists gathered on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center on Montana Avenue to protest for the release of an El Paso-area activist detained earlier this week at the El Paso International Airport on immigration charges.
As KTSM 9 News previously reported, Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents at around 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3, as she waited to board a flight out of El Paso.
Santiago, a Movimiento Cosecha activist and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals beneficiary, was carrying a work authorization document when detained, according to friends and colleagues who have started a GoFundMe account for her legal fees.
She is in the custody of ICE pending proceedings to remove her from the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Hilda Villegas, with the nonprofit organization La Mujer Obrera, was one of the protesters asking for Santiago’s release, saying that they wanted her back home safely.
“We are very upset that they criminalized Xóchitl. And there hasn’t been any due process, and there’s no reason for them to be holding her hostage away from our community,” Villegas said.
Villegas said Santiago is a very important person for their struggle, as she’s been defending immigration rights and contributing to the community’s efforts in creating a space for children to be safe.
“We feel that she (Santiago) is being targeted. She represents what we represent, immigrant women. And they are criminalizing us for who we are and what we do, which is doing social justice and advocating for immigrants’ rights,” Villegas added.
Villegas called on all politicians who support immigrants to demand Santiago’s immediate release and return home.
“Her image (Santiago’s) has been smeared across social media, and it’s not correct, because there is no reason for them to hold her,” Villegas said.
Villegas said they don’t know why Santiago was detained, and nobody is answering their questions.
“We’ve seen how this administration has targeted immigrants like her, like us, and they have criminalized them to force them to self-deport. So, right now, what we are asking is for her to be released,” Villegas said.
Villegas added that the immigration community is hurting for Santiago, as they care and worry about her mental health and well-being.
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