Mexican Consulate: Here’s when Butler County woman will be deported

Maribel Trujillo Diaz, who has been in the U.S. illegally since 2002, will be deported next Wednesday, according to Mexican Consulate officials.

Trujillo is a mother of four children ages 3-14 who are all U.S. citizens. She was detained by immigration enforcement agents at her Fairfield home last week.

She is currently being held at LaSalle Detention Center near Jena, Louisiana, according to the Honorable Carlos Ponce Martinez, the Consul General of Mexico in New Orleans.

“As you can imagine, her life has been turned upside down,” Martinez told our news partner WCPO. “She is scared for her future, but mostly scared for her children’s future. She is the sole provider for her family and they all depend on her. The uncertainty and sense of helplessness is palpable.”

While supporters argue Trujillo has broken no laws, others, including state Rep. Candice Keller, R-Middletown, and Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones note entering the country illegally itself is breaking the law.

A three-judge panel at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trujillo’s petition for an emergency stay of removal Tuesday afternoon, clearing the way for federal authorities to transport her back to Mexico.

Trujillo’s attorney Emily Brown said they decided not to appeal the full Sixth Circuit; rather, Brown said she “(hoped) ICE will use its discretion to do the right thing and not deport (Trujillo).”

Trujillo’s attorney said she hopes statements by Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Rob Portman and Gov. John Kasich on Trujillo’s behalf may motivate ICE to halt the deportation.

Martinez said one of Trujillo’s children — her youngest daughter — has special needs. It is unclear if she will be able to go to Mexico with her mother, he said.

“Removals from Louisiana do not involve minors,” Martinez said. “If Trujillo is unable to return with her daughter, a member of the consulate can accompany (the child) to Mexico once her mother is there and ready to receive her.”

Trujillo said she originally fled Mexico because drug cartels targeted her family.

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