By Lauren Ahern and Nayeli Sanchez
Last May, in our hard copy of El Guerrero, we reported about the plight of Ms. Rosa Robles-Loreto, who was still in sanctuary at a southside church after nearly a year. Five months have passed since the article was published, and Rosa still remains trapped.
Ms. Rosa Robles Loreto, who found sanctuary at the Southside Presbyterian Church in August, 2014 after being stopped after a minor traffic violation has remained there for over a year now. Since the beginning, she has had full support from the church, and throughout the year, her support has grown within the Tucson area. In fact, driving around town drivers are able to spot the now-familiar “We Stand with Rosa” signs. Several teachers and staff members also have these signs posted in their classrooms.
Even our principal, Dr. Augustine Romero, has this sign in his office window. He believes that this issue is a great opportunity to bring awareness to help students explore Robles-Loreto’s situation.
Pueblo’s social worker, Ms. Ginger Arzani, who checks in on Robles to “see how she is doing,” reported that “sometimes Robles-Loreto is up, and sometimes she’s down.”
Arzani added that Robles-Loreto’s family has a big role on her getting through the day.
“She misses her children and her husband very much,” Arzani said
She added that the church is feeding and clothing Robles-Loreto. Occasionally, an attorney visits Robles-Loreto regarding legal issues regarding deportation.
Lawyers and activists say the We Stand with Rosa case is a touchstone that reflects a gap between the White House’s desire for immigration reform and ICE’s actions in the field, which they say still target non-criminals, despite Obama’s directive that prosecutions should focus on “felons, not families”.
Many teachers and staff are aware of the situation that is going on and have different opinions about it.
As for Jessica Mejia, one of Pueblo’s history teachers, she has a positive opinion on this situation. She believes breaking up families shouldn’t happen and she definitely supports her being here because she is an outstanding citizen and contributes to the community.
However, teachers like Cristobal Santa Cruz do not have a specific opinion on what the church should do and shouldn’t do. “It’s their right because they are expressing the 1st Amendment right, but because they are doing this the church has to accept the consequences that may follow.”