https://whoyoucallinillegal.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/dedes-story/

Dede G. A. was born in Ethiopia. In 1985, when she was three years old, she was taken to Sudan with a relative to flee from the war in Ethiopia. They lived in Sudan as refugees until they were able to enter the U.S. She just had turned 10 years old when they were brought to Seattle, WA. Dede found new family at 12 when she was placed in foster care in the Central District and remains close to her foster mother.

• She doesn’t know anyone in Ethiopia, has no family there, no memory of it and doesn’t speak the language.
• She has a husband and three children aged 2, 4 and 6 and a foster mother and family, all of whom she would be separated from.
• She tirelessly dedicates her time to volunteering and supporting numerous community projects and groups including Harborview Medical Center, the Village of Hope and the Black Prisoners Caucus.

Dede received a criminal conviction when she was 19 and has been facing deportation since 2006. She received a huge outpouring of community support to prevent her deportation and the judge ruled in her favor. Due to Dede’s commitment and involvement with her community she was pardoned by Gov. Gregoire in 2011. Despite this the federal Board of Immigration has consistently tried to deport Dede and her case will be reopened in November. Additionally she because of complications with her case she has not been allowed to work for the past 2 years. Dede’s story is one of many. Don’t deport Dede, stop all deportations.

For more information or to get involved please contact: stoptheremoval9@gmail.com