Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement on his decision to pardon the minor driving offense of Liliana Cruz Mendez, a mother of two who is facing federal deportation proceedings.
“Today I pardoned Lilian Cruz Mendez, a mother of two who lives in Falls Church, for minor driving offenses that may contribute to her deportation. While this pardon will not necessarily ensure that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agrees to return Ms. Mendez to her husband and two children, I hope it will send a clear message that tearing this family apart will not make our Commonwealth or our country safer.
“If President Trump and his administration are serious about making our nation safer, they will release Ms. Mendez, focus their immigration enforcement efforts on legitimate threats to our public safety and get behind the comprehensive immigration reform our nation needs.”
Governor McAuliffe’s simple pardon will impact a driving infraction of which Ms. Mendez was convicted in 2013.
As the Washington Post reported, Ms. Mendez was detained on May 18th during a routine check-in with ICE officials. She was previously granted two stays of deportation by the Obama administration.
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