Dear friends,
Please see below the news that Guatemalan union organizer Maria Mejia has been released from detention in the United States. Thank you everyone who responded to the appeal for action we sent out on Sept. 13th. If there are any new developments on this case and any additional action needed we will let you know.

Maria Mejia Released!
Sept. 16, 2005

[source: AFL-CIO Solidarity Center via CLR; for more information on this case please contact the Solidarity Center]

Guatemalan Union Organizer Released from Detention: September 16, 2005

Maria Adela Mejia Perez (Mary), the Guatemalan union organizer and political asylum petitioner, who was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service on July 5, 2005 has been released today from the detention facility in Houston Texas. Her release will allow her to pursue her asylum petition from outside of detention.

We would like to thank the list serve operators who posted the alert and the many who communicated their concern and inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security. Your combined efforts made Mary's release possible. Though Mary's asylum petition is not yet fully resolved we request that you send no additional communications to the immigration authorities at this time.

We are grateful to those who wrote the letters- believing that one small action joined with many others could make an impact. Mary received many of the copies you sent to the detention center and was heartened to see our efforts. Many thanks!

Teresa Elaine Casertano
AFL-CIO Solidarity Center
Americas Office, Washington, DC
202-778-6343(Phone) 202-778-6344(Fax)