Maria Mendoza-Sanchez Family Fund

Maria Mendoza Sanchez started as a nursing home housekeeper and became a respected oncology nurse serving underprivileged patients at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA.  She and her husband lived in the U.S. over 20 years, raised their 4 children here, bought a house and had been good members of the community with no criminal records.  After 15 years of attempting to achieve permanent resident status, on August 17, 2017, ICE deported Maria to Mexico with her husband, Eusebio.  

Maria was forced to break up her family.  Her 4 children have been living in their family home, including her 17-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, who are still in school in Oakland, CA.

Maria's employer, Highland Hospital, petitioned for her to get an H-1B visa, arguing her experience caring for cancer patients qualifies her as a high-skilled worker.  Maria has now won her improbable fight to return to her home in California, to her 4 children and nursing job after winning a ticket in a visa lottery.  She hopes to be back home before Christmas.

Maria's ordeal robbed her and her husband of ability to earn income.  Eusebio remains in Mexico, hopeful to return as well.  Maria is profoundly grateful for the fundraising that has already been done on her behalf:

"I thank God for the people who have shown support and I hope that when I come back God gives me the opportunity of helping others going through this. There are not enough words to express my gratitude to every single person who has helped us. I know that I will probably never meet them but they already are a very important part of our family. May God bless all of you"  Maria

Now,  her family needs our help to get back on their feet, can you help with a donation?


Recent articles about Maria:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/nurse-deported-family-trump-wins-appeal


https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/family-separations-mexico-nurse-h1b-visa?bfsource=relatedmanual