The Fight Continues for #FreeMariaLuna
Judge denies the release of a Filipina community member.
Tues. Jan 31, 2019 — Adelanto, California
The 18 of us filled almost every chair in the waiting room. Some of us traveled hundreds of miles to get to the high desert, and some of us even took time off of work to be here. From 6 different organizations — Asian Prisoner Support Committee, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Filipino Migrant Center, Anakbayan, Gabriella, and Migrante — we all showed up together, ready to pack the courts and to bring Maria Luna home from the Adelanto ICE Detention Center.
Not surprisingly, the ICE staff members appeared non-empathetic to our cause. As we patiently waited, chatting among ourselves to share our lives and our work as community organizers to each other, the receptionist, wearing a blue GEO uniform, stood up and ordered all of us to quiet down.
Despite being met with hostility and given little communication about what was going on inside the hearing room, we continued to wait with high hopes and positive spirits. Until finally, the receptionist allowed only 8 of us, which is less than half of the group, to enter the room and witness the proceedings.
After 3 hours, the hearing was over. As the group of 8 exited the hearing room, their heads shook “no”, and their faces read disappointment and defeat. Maria’s attorney from USC, in her peacoat and high-heeled boots, followed the group and suggested that we all meet outside.
In front of the building, we noticed how grey clouds had filled the sky and felt the chill of the wind pick up. Zipping up my jacket and pulling up my hood over my head, I listened to Maria’s attorney, a white woman with a sheepish smile on her face, remind us all that there’s still a chance for an appeal.
One of us asked when the date to apply for an appeal would be, and Maria’s attorney struggled to answer the question. (She could not recall the date that Maria was detained by ICE.)
One of us asked what we could do to support. Maria’s attorney made it a point to tell us that it did not really matter if loved ones showed up to court for Maria — kinda like we just did. (She suggested we write letters or visit her instead.)
Nonetheless, Linda Luna, Maria’s mother, thanked the attorney from USC, and thanked us all again for coming out to support her daughter.
A short moment after everyone said their goodbyes to each other and dispersed from the cold to return to their heated cars, I found out, from my APSC colleagues who were given access to the hearing room, that the judge did not grant Maria Luna a Convention against Torture (CAT) relief because she was unconvinced that Maria, a survivor of sexual assault, would face any danger in the Philippines, a country that Maria and her family left when she was only 3 years-old.
I found out that Maria Luna’s testimony, which described her successful transformation from a person who abused substances to a certified CA state drug and alcohol counselor, was used against her to make the judge’s twisted argument that Maria would be fine if she was deported to the Philippines.
I also found out that we were unable to pack the courts like we planned to simply because the staff could not get one or two more guards to come to the hearing room. (Apparently, there’s some kind of rule that says for each 8 visitors, a guard must be present at all times.)
Although the next action for the fight to #FreeMariaLuna is to be determined, we know she will have the opportunity to appeal, she will have the opportunity for a bond hearing, and she will have the opportunity for a new attorney to represent her.
This is only the beginning. We must continue to support Maria, and we need to fight for her release. Let’s bring Maria Luna home, back to her community.
If you would like to visit Maria Luna at the ICE Detention Facility in Adelanto, she is housed in East Housing Unit 1. Her visiting days are Tuesday and Friday, (12pm — 8pm) and Sunday, (7am — 8pm).
If you would like to write Maria Luna a letter of support, her CDCR number is A36838820 and her mailing address is ‘Housing: E1–1A-5L, 10400 Rancho Road Adelanto, CA 92301’.
