
Roxana Orellana Santos with her husband and son
In northern Maryland, the Frederick County Council is finally considering repeal of their English-only ordinance, in effect since 2012. Whatever they finally decide, we can all thank Roxana Orellana Santos for opening the door to inclusion and common decency. It all began in October 2008 … with lunch.
Roxana Orellana Santos was eating her lunch outside her workplace when two Frederick County sheriff’s deputies approached her and asked about her immigration status. The deputies had no other reason to question Roxana Orellana Santos. Other than being Brown skinned and Latina looking, she had committed no offense. Nevertheless, the deputies determined that there was an outstanding civil deportation warrant, and took her in. Roxana Orellana Santos was held for 37 days without any criminal charges, again other than being Latina.
Roxana Orellana Santos said NO! No to the indignity and no to the violation of her rights. As she put it, “To be honest, he arrested me because I was sitting there and eating bread. She sued the County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins and the two deputies. In 2001, the first court dismissed her case. In August 2013, a higher court agreed in large part with Roxana Orellana Santos. One of her attorneys Jose Perez explained, “It is apparent that the Frederick County deputies pre-textually stopped, questioned and detained Ms. Orellana Santos solely based upon her physical appearance at a time when the Fredrick County Sheriff was publicly trumpeting how many immigrants his office had arrested. This is the essence of racial profiling.”
Roxana Orellana Santos said, “I want this to end, once and for all. I want to be happy with my children. I want to go to the park with them and say `I am happy’ and know that no one will try to humiliate me.”
And now, seven years later, the Frederick County Council is rethinking an ordinance that targets and criminalizes those who speak languages other than English or who might prefer to speak in those languages, especially in high stress situations. And you know who was there, testifying at length? Roxana Orellana Santos. Thanks to her refusal to be discarded and thanks to her determination, we can all say, ¡A luta continua!
(Photo Credit: Milagros Meléndez-Vela / El Tiempo Latino)
Salvadoran woman at center of Frederick County lawsuit granted reprieve from deportation through summer http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-ci-ice-mother-20170227-story.html
Migrants Confront Judgment Day Over Old Deportation Orders https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/04/us/migrants-facing-old-deportation-orders.html
Wrongfully arrested woman asks court to hold Frederick County responsible https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/courts/wrongfully-arrested-woman-asks-court-to-hold-frederick-county-responsible/article_7a26f9b8-59e2-5ec3-a514-290b10a76d47.html
Study of arrest rates posits that 287(g) immigration enforcement keeps Hispanics from going to the police https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/courts/study-of-arrest-rates-posits-that-g-immigration-enforcement-keeps/article_a2357ae3-943f-53e0-b718-797a1fd6b659.html
ICE detains Salvadoran woman who won civil rights suit against Frederick County https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-roxana-santos-20190108-story.html
She won a lawsuit over her immigration arrest. But ICE detained her again before she could win any money. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/09/she-won-lawsuit-over-her-immigration-arrest-ice-detained-her-again-before-she-could-win-any-money/
Trump asked you to imagine being victimized by an immigrant. We should imagine instead, ‘We’re all Roxana.’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trump-asked-you-to-imagine-being-victimized-by-an-immigrant-we-should-imagine-instead-were-all-roxana/2019/01/09/a949da1e-1442-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html
Federal judge temporarily halts deportation of Roxana Santos https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/immigration/federal-judge-temporarily-halts-deportation-of-roxana-santos/2019/01/15/0da57a2a-18f0-11e9-9ebf-c5fed1b7a081_story.html
She won a lawsuit over her immigration arrest. But ICE detained her again before she could seek any money. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/09/she-won-lawsuit-over-her-immigration-arrest-ice-detained-her-again-before-she-could-win-any-money/
ICE detains Salvadoran woman who won civil rights suit against Frederick County https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-roxana-santos-20190108-story.html
Salvadoran woman who won civil rights suit against Frederick County is granted restraining order against ICE https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-santos-hearing-20190114-story.html
Salvadoran woman who won civil right suit in Maryland released from ICE custody https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-ci-roxana-santos-20190206-story.html
‘Brown lives matter’ protest in Frederick triggers counterprotests — and bigotry https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/brown-lives-matter-protest-in-frederick-triggers-counterprotests–and-bigotry/2020/07/16/41ab5338-c71a-11ea-a99f-3bbdffb1af38_story.html
ACLU Settles Lawsuit Over Police Discrimination In Frederick County | DCist https://dcist.com/story/21/01/21/aclu-settles-lawsuit-frederick-county-sheriff-discrimination/
Settlement In Racial Bias Case Includes Apology From Frederick County Sheriff https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/01/21/settlement-in-racial-bias-case-includes-apology-from-frederick-county-sheriff/