Rep. Beyer issued the following statement today upon learning that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe would pardon his constituent, Liliana Cruz Mendez, for the minor driving offense which led to her Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation order.

“I’m very happy with this move by Governor McAuliffe to protect a Virginia family,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Helping Liliana is exactly what I hoped and expected the Governor to do. What a contrast between his actions and the senseless move by the Trump Administration to split up a family, a move which deeply hurts American children and won’t help anyone at all.”

Liliana Cruz Mendez is the mother of two children, Danyca (4) and Steven (10), who are US citizens, with her husband Rene Bermudez, who is applying for asylum. The family lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

She was born in El Salvador and came to the United States as a teenager. She was stopped at the border and released, and has since checked in at regular intervals with ICE.

At her last ICE check-in, which followed new Trump Administration immigration orders, she was detained and a deportation order was issued in connection with a minor driving offense four years ago. Governor McAuliffe today pardoned this offense.