When a woman becomes a mother, she makes a promise to do whatever is necessary to protect her children and give them a good life.
Recently, one mother proved just how far she was willing to go in order to give her son a better and safer life when she not only left everything and everyone she knew behind but took on the United States government – all for the sake of her son…
A Domestic Abuse Victim
When a mother from Guatemala started getting abused by her husband, she wanted to leave him but felt she had no choice but to stay with him for the sake of their 7-year-old son. If she left, she knew she wouldn’t be able to support herself and her son on her own.
No Way Out
Without any other options, the mother resolved herself to stay with her husband no matter how bad the abuse got. However, over the years, the violence reached new heights as her alcoholic husband became more and more dependant on alcohol…
Crossing A Line
The terrified mother didn’t think there was any way to escape the escalating violence, however, she knew she had to think of something when the abuse, which had always been aimed at her, started being aimed at her 7-year-old.
Never Looking Back
When her husband threatened to kill her and her son, she knew he was serious and that he would eventually follow through with his threats if she didn’t escape soon. So before it was too late, she took her son, ran away, and never looked back…
Seeking Asylum
Beata Mariana de Jesus Mejia-Mejia set her sights on the United States as an asylum seeker. She knew how difficult the process would be to resettle in America legally, but it would all be worth it if it meant she could get a job and give her son a better life.
Fighting For A Better Life
Fueled by the dream of a better life for her son, Beata and 7-year-old Darwin trekked 2,300 miles from Guatemala to the border of the United States, which she crossed on May 19, 2018, near San Luis, Arizona…
Official Entry Ports
Asylum seekers are urged to enter the country at official ports of entry, but Beata couldn’t find an entry point so decided to cross the border and turn herself into a U.S. Border Patrol agent to seek asylum. “She doesn’t have GPS. She didn’t have Google Maps,” said Mike Donovan, CEO of a Virginia firm, Libre by Nexus, that helps with immigration bail.
Crossing The Border
“This woman doesn’t understand where a ‘port of entry’ is. She’s navigating three countries to get here. She doesn’t even know where the border is,” Mike added. Once she turned herself in, Beata and her son were sent to a detention center. At the end of those 2 days, however, Beata’s worst nightmare came true…
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare
“Men dressed in green uniforms (border agents) told Ms. M. they needed to take her son and would not tell her why. Ms. M. said ‘no’ and demanded an explanation, but they would not tell her why they needed to take her seven-year-old son, and they took him anyway,’ explains a lawsuit Beata, referred to as Ms. M., has filed arguing that her rights have been violated.
A Traumatic Separation
“The border agents did not tell Ms. M. where they were taking her son,’ who was ‘screaming and crying’. That was the last time Ms. M. saw her son,” the lawsuit says. After Darwin was taken from her, Beata had an interview with immigration officials and proved that she was an abuse survivor…
Posting Her Bond
Once officials agreed that Beata and her son would be in physical danger if deported back to Guatemala, Beata was authorized to stay in the country as long as she posted a $12,500 bond, which she was able to pay thanks to Libre by Nexus.
A Legal Entry
“We have a charitable bonding program, and that’s how her bond was posted,” Mike Donovan said. “So she doesn’t have to pay anything. It’s based on indigency.” Once it was determined that Beata hadn’t illegally entered the country and wouldn’t be indicted, Darwin should have been returned to her immediately…
Tracking Down Her Son
Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. After Libre by Nexus posted her bond, Beata was released from a detention center on June 15 and tried to find her son as no one would tell her where he was aside from being somewhere in Phoenix, or if he was safe.
Reaching Out For Help
After her release, Beata was allowed just 1 phone call to Darwin “Her son was crying and scared,” the lawsuit says. An official told Beata Darwin was fine but she could hear him shrieking and in distress in the background. Not knowing what else to do, Beata reached out to Libre by Nexus to see if they could help…
The Lawsuit
The firm agreed to help her file a lawsuit and took her case on pro-bono. According to the lawsuit filed against 6 federal agencies and 10 senior officials, Beata alleges that the government violated constitutional guarantees of due process, which applies to all people in the country, not just citizens. By taking her son, the government also denied her of her son’s ‘care and custody’.
A Controversial Policy
Beata’s lawsuit challenges President Trump’s controversial zero-tolerance policy to prosecute anyone who enters the country illegally, which has caused more than 2,300 children to be forcefully separated from adults at the border. Trump has since reversed the policy of separating children from their families and guardians, but there are still thousands of children who have not been returned to their families…
Fighting For Her Child
While Beata doesn’t want to focus on politics, she will do anything to get her son back and hopes her fight will help other mothers in similar situations. “Right now my main focus is to get Darwin back in my arms,” Beata said. “I am a mom, and mothers fight for their children. I hope my fight can help other moms avoid this horror in their lives.”
A Court Order
“All I want is to be with my son. I want to see him. I appreciate very much the attorneys and all of their help. I want to be with my son; I want to see him again,” Beata said. After a court hearing, Darwin was ordered to be released to Beata and was flown from Phoenix to Washington on Friday, June 22, 2018…
An Emotional Reunion
When Darwin landed shortly after 2 a.m., he was finally reunited with his mother. “I started crying when I saw him because he is the only child I have,” Beata said. “I thank God because I have him here with me. He is now sad, but nobody is going to separate us again.”
The Fight Isn’t Over
Even though Beata has been reunited with her son, her attorney, Mario Williams, has no plans of withdrawing the lawsuit. “We definitely will be happy when she gets her son back, but we are going to continue litigating the situation because of the broad impact this egregious policy has had on people around the country and around the world,” Williams said.
Mom Sues Government After 7-Year-Old Was Taken After Legally Crossing Border is an article from: LifeDaily