This woman came to the US from Mexico illegally in 1997, with her husband and young daughter. She’s had three children since she arrived, and is now a grandmother. She and her husband started a cleaning and moving company when they arrived, and have held various jobs since. Some years ago, she was convicted of a misdemeanor (falsifying a social security number). Under threat of deportation, she is currently receiving sanctuary at a church. She is technically a criminal, but exploiting a laxly-enforced law is something I suspect many of us are guilty of. Think underage drinking, or recreational drug use; at times the laws are not so strictly enforced and the legal consequences not so dire, and people take advantage. This woman came to the US 20 years ago to try and make a better and safer life for her family; she has paid taxes and is now the mother of three American citizens. Now we have a new president, and it’s suddenly a priority to separate her from her children and send her back to Mexico. I understand the need to tighten up the border. I understand the need to make it harder for employers to hire people who are in this country illegally. I don’t understand the need to break up this woman’s family.