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VA Governor Pardons Traffic Violation for Undocumented Immigrant

Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va)
governor's office
Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has pardoned a minor driving offense committed years ago by an immigrant mother of two, saying he hopes this will help prevent her deportation by President Donald Trump's administration.

The case of 30-year-old Liliana Cruz Mendez of Falls Church has become emblematic of tougher immigration policies under Trump.

The advocacy group CASA said Cruz Mendez came to the U.S. from El Salvador a decade ago, and was stopped for a broken taillight in 2013. After receiving two deferrals from deportation in 2014 and 2015, she was arrested this month after going with her lawyer to a check-in appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.