Page 23 - Sonoma County Gazette May 2020

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Then, in 2011, her happy life fell apart suddenly and unexpectedly. A disgruntled employee reported her and six other undocumented nurses working at the facility. All seven women were arrested and held without bail. Leonor was incarcerated for 21 days. When she was finally released by law enforcement authorities, ICE agents took her into custody and began deportation proceedings.
Her family is another pillar of her life. Leonor is very close to her two sons, David, 24, and Ovid Josue, 18. Both sons appreciate the sacrifices their mother has made to provide them a life in this country. David and Ovid have both followed in their mother’s footsteps, pursuing their own careers in the medical field.
Arrest and Deportation Court.
Leonor’s only crime: obtaining a certified nursing assistant’s license as an undocumented immigrant.
Immigrants on the front lines.
The deportation case against her lasted 8 years, languishing in the immigration court in San Francisco while she and her family awaited her fate. Finally, last year, an immigration judge approved her application for cancellation of deportation, finding that she had “good moral character” and that her U.S.-born son would suffer exceptional hardship if she would be deported to Mexico.
Her story is not completely unique. Our nation’s hospitals and other health care facilities have long relied on immigrants to fill the role of doctors, nurses, EMT workers, and medical technicians. Now they are serving their adopted country when it is a particularly dangerous time to be caring for our sick. As of April 2nd, the
CDC has reported that 9,282 health care workers have contracted COVID-19, 723 have been hospitalized and 27 have died. Surely those numbers will continue to climb. Still they serve.
In fact, Leonor, the good fortune is ours.
Christopher A. Kerosky has practiced Immigration Law for almost 3 decades. Since 2013, Christopher serves as a Member of the Human
Rights Commission for Sonoma County, appointed by the County Board
of Supervisors to represent the 5th District. As part of his work with the Commission, Christopher helped found My American Dreams, a local non- profit devoted to community education and advocacy for immigrants.
Leonor continues to work two jobs, caring for sick and the elderly. When she regained her right-to-work, Leonor went back to work full-time at her post-acute care facility. And she still works a second job as a private care-giver.
Faith, Family and Work.
Like so many immigrants, Leonor’s life has been centered on her family, her faith and her work. Throughout her ordeal, Leonor’s faith in God has sustained her. She is very active in her church, the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida, a Spanish-language Christian church in Petaluma. Leonor assists the pastor with services and volunteers her time to the religious community. “I feel so blessed by God for granting me the right to stay in this country.”
“It has always been such a special blessing for me to work caring for the sick and elderly,” says Leonor. “and now I feel particularly fortunate to be able to contribute to this country in this difficult moment for all of us.”
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