On February 8, 2013 Maricopa County sheriff\u2019s deputies raided a sports apparel company and arrested 23 workers suspected of working in the country without legal permissions. Sheriff Joe Arpaio\u2019s raid at Sportex Apparel left many sons and daughters with out their parents\u2014among them is a deaf teenage girl who\u2019s mother, grandmother and grandfather have been in detention since the raid.<\/p>\n
Diana Blanco, 17, is deaf. She\u2019s the oldest of 3 girls who will find out next Monday if their mother, grandmother and grandfather will be deported. All three are being held in the county jail without bond. Advocates for the family believe Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery will charge the detained family members with the maximum penalty, setting them up on the pathway to deportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want her to spend a year in jail. I miss my mom and I need her a lot. We want to tell the one that\u2019s putting the charges to please stop,\u201d Diana, signed at a press conference organized by Puente Movement, an Arizona community-based group fighting for migrant justice and human rights.<\/p>\n
Puente Movement has launched a petition calling on Montgomery to drop charges against victims of Arpaio.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Los Angeles based band Las Cafeteras heard about Diana Blanco\u2019s ordeal and produced a video with a message of support. The band usually sticks to the sounds of Son Jarocho, fold music from Southern Veracruz, Mexico, but it just so happens some members of the band are part of families who are hard of hearing and know American sign language.<\/p>\n