Press Release: Community members deliver holiday card to Waterloo MP calling for permanent status for Roblero Morales family

Waterloo, ON - On December 19th, about 20 community members and local organizations gathered in front of the office of Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger, the recently named Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, in support of the Roblero-Morales family. They held paper hearts with messages like “Let them stay” and “Bring Daniel home,” enduring the cold winter afternoon.

 

They also delivered an oversized holiday card to Chagger, calling for support from her office to bring deported husband and father Daniel Roblero home for the holidays, as well as for the entire family, including wife and mother Sandra Morales and their six US-born children, to receive permanent residence immediately.

 

The family was set to be deported on February 6th, but at a December 18th meeting with Canada Border Services Agency, they were informed that they’d be able to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) and that their deportation would be stayed until a decision on that application. They were told that it took take 1-6 months to receive a response. The acceptance rate for PRRA applications has historically been extremely low.

 

“I’m still here struggling for the well-being of my family, making another call to the community, the ministers and MP Bardish Chagger. I would like more than anything for my husband to return. My children need him. He’s also a big support financially for our family. I would like for our case to be resolved as soon as possible. Our family remains separated and we need to be reunited for my children,” said said wife and mother Sandra Morales.

 

 

"LSPIRG unapologetically supports peoples’ rights to safety and security. All families deserve respect and dignity, and should be able to stay together. The people of Waterloo Region will continue to support the Roblero-Morales family until they receive permanent residency and Daniel Roblero is allowed to return home," said Karly Rath of the Laurier Students' Public Interest Research Group.

 

“Climate justice is migrant justice. Canada claims to be a leader in climate action and human rights, but continues to support decades of violent exploitation by Canadian resource extraction companies abroad while punishing asylum-seekers at home. If this government is serious about climate action, it must stop the deportation of all people like the Roblero-Morales family and suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement,” said Sana Farooqui of Our Time Kitchener-Waterloo.

 

Parents Daniel and Sandra first fled to the US due to violence and persecution in Guatemala. When Trump was elected in 2017, they became fearful that their children would be taken away from them and they'd be deported as undocumented parents, so they decided to seek refuge in Canada. They are currently awaiting a response on their application for permanent residence on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds, following a negative decision on their refugee application.

 

No family separation and deportation! No immigrant detention for children or anyone!

 

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