Family Says INS Mistake Left Girl Without Her Mother

A mother has been deported, and now her family is taking action to get her back.

Elizabeth Sanchez came to the U.S. in the 1990s, seeking political asylum from the Guatemala civil war. She was denied that asylum, and in 1996, her family says she was given the wrong date for a follow-up hearing. When she missed the hearing, she was ordered deported.

In the meantime, Sanchez married an American, Mayco Cardenas, and had a daughter. Her family said she kept trying to get another hearing, and when she finally got one, she was arrested and deported when she showed up for her appointment.

"I just feel that this is all a mistake," said huband Mayco Cardenas. "What we want is to have our family together. As you can see, my daughter is suffering, and thanks to the INS, so is my wife."

Sanchez is now in Guatemala, where she no longer has any close relatives. Her family is asking for an emergency waiver, so she can come back to the U.S. and keep working on her green card.

"I feel bad just because somebody doesn't want to give my mom back," said daughter Kristyne, as she wiped tears from her eyes. "It's been a nightmare."

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