In a relief-filled turn of events for a Milwaukee teacher's aide ordered to return to El Salvador, Yessenia Ruano has received a temporary reprieve from deportation, an attorney representing her has confirmed; the emergency stay her legal team filed is under review, WISN reported today.
Ruano has been living in the U.S. for 14 years and the decision to force her out of the country, targeted for today, was put on pause after the action was filed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), her attorney Marc Christopher told TMJ4. However, with no specific timeline from ICE, Ruano and her family now wait in a state of uncertainty for a ruling on her appeal, she must comply with whatever decision is made regarding her status, wishes to remain in the United States at least until her T Visa—a visa for victims of human trafficking—is processed.
Local station WUWM shed further light on Ruano's story, including the harrowing background that brought her to seek sanctuary in the United States. According to a conversation with her attorney, she had been the victim of human trafficking in El Salvador, a fact that echoes with grim resonance as she now faces the prospect of being sent back. Moreover, the sense of solidarity from the Milwaukee community has become palpable as many rally behind Ruano and her plight.
With the emergency stay in place, there is a collective holding of breath for Ruano, who is described by her attorney in the TMJ4 report as an optimist despite her circumstances.
