Elvira Arellano is leaving Aldalberto United Methodist Church, the Chicago church she has sought sanctuary a year ago. She decided to stay within the walls of the church to avoid deportation and more importantly perhaps, avoid being separated from her 8 year old son, Saul . But she isn’t just going anywhere? She is taking her story and her struggle to Washington D.C.

“I will go with by Bible and my son and I will read to him from the Holy Scriptures as I do everyday,” Arellano said in a statement sent Tuesday to The AP. “If this government would separate me from my son, let them do it in front of the men and women who have the responsibility to fix this broken law and uphold the principles of human dignity.”

Elvira feels that her sanctuary has separated her from the real struggle and her trip to D.C. plans include lobbying Congress for immigration reform.

Some have called Elvira’s actions and future plans for actions exploitative of her son.

As a mother who believes in social justice, I can understand the fear on both sides, of something happening to Saul and of something happening to separate Elvira from her son, as has happened to countless of other undocumented mothers across the country? So what is an undocumented mother to a citizen child to do? Pack her bags from where she has made a life for herself and her son or fight, even if fighting puts herself and her son at risk?

Via / Chicago Tribune