Woman Lived In Church For A Year To Avoid Deportation

An undocumented Mexican woman has been living in a church for a year to avoid deportation, reports the Associated Press.

When Rosa Robles Loreto was pulled over in Tuscon for a traffic stop 5 years ago, she was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Though it's unclear how long she's lived in the United States, her entire family resides here illegally. She began living in the Southside Presbyterian Church one year ago this month and refuses to leave until she knows she won't be deported to Mexico.

Though it's not illegal to make arrests in churches, the AP says it's a practice that the federal government generally avoids. The church in which Robles Loreto took refuge has been offering sanctuary to immigrants since the 1980s.

Margo Cowan, Robles Loreto's attorney, says she though she is no longer a high priority for deportation, she is still at risk because neither of her children were born in the United States.

Robles Loreto says she misses a lot of family events, as she only sees her family on weekends and while her children are on summer break from school.

Do you think the federal government should enforce deportation on this woman and other undocumented immigrants who have sought refuge in churches?