Mother of 2 deported to native El Salvador, despite pardon

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – A mother of two has been deported to her native El Salvador, despite the Virginia governor’s pardon of a minor driving offence.

The advocacy group CASA says 30-year-old Liliana Cruz Mendez of Falls Church was deported last week. Media outlets report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed her deportation.

The Washington Post reported that the woman’s husband, Rene Bermudez, said the loss of their mother has their 10-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter in tears.

CASA says Cruz Mendez fled violence in El Salvador a decade ago. She was arrested last month during her check-in appointment at an ICE office.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe hoped pardoning her minor driving offence would help prevent her deportation. Thousands of the immigrants being deported under President Donald Trump have no criminal records.