Elvira Arellano, 1975-Present
Elvira Arellano, 1975-Present
Elvira Arellano is an international activist who works to defend the human rights of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization. She is the founder of the undocumented immigration advocacy group La Familia Latina Unida (“The United Latin Family”) and co-chair of Centro Sin Fronteras (“Center Without Borders”). In 2002 Arellano received a deportation order, following a sweep at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where she cleaned airplanes. She sought refuge inside a Chicago church in 2006, sparking a nationwide sanctuary movement. Arellano and her U.S.-born son, Saul, became iconic symbols for immigration reform. In 2006, Time Magazine named her Person of the Year. She was deported in 2007, and was later granted a special visa to visit her son. She returned to the U.S. in 2014.
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Elvira Arellano, 1975-Present
Elvira Arellano is an international activist who works to defend the human rights of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization. She is the founder of the undocumented immigration advocacy group La Familia Latina Unida (“The United Latin Family”) and co-chair of Centro Sin Fronteras (“Center Without Borders”). In 2002 Arellano received a deportation order, following a sweep at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where she cleaned airplanes. She sought refuge inside a Chicago church in 2006, sparking a nationwide sanctuary movement. Arellano and her U.S.-born son, Saul, became iconic symbols for immigration reform. In 2006, Time Magazine named her Person of the Year. She was deported in 2007, and was later granted a special visa to visit her son. She returned to the U.S. in 2014.