Victory for Cristina and Monica

By Michael Crawford
Dec 06, 2011 at 02:06 pm

Over the last year, we’ve been helped to tell the story of Cristina and Monica, a married couple living in Queens, NY. Monica is a native of Argentina who was facing deportation proceedings.

Now we have good news: Immigration and Customs Enforcement have closed Monica’s case. From Stop the Deportations:

Immigration Judge Terry Bain granted a Joint Motion to Administratively Close Removal Proceedings against Argentinean born lesbian, Monica Alcota, because “good cause has been established.”  Judge Bain’s decision was dated November 30, and was received yesterday, just one day before Monica Alcota was due back in court for a final deportation hearing.  Monica Alcota’s lawyer, Lavi Soloway, submitted the request for Administrative Closure to ICE Chief Counsel in Manhattan on November 14.  The request was based on her marriage to her U.S. citizen spouse, Cristina Ojeda; her deep roots in the community in which she lives and works; her activism against DOMA; and the absence of any adverse factors, i.e. that Monica Alcota is a hard-working, law-abiding person who is not a danger to the public safety or national security.
 
Congratulations to Cristina and Monica, Lavi Soloway, and Stop the Deportations. 

As part of our efforts to elevate the story of Cristina and Monica and issues effecting binational couples, Freedom to Marry partnered with In the Life to produce this video: