Sign Our Petition: Free the Merlos Family

Sign our petition to demand the immediate release of Jackie, Carlos, and Juana Merlos. Help bring this family back together.

We will deliver this petition to members of Congress to enlist their support in demanding action. Hearing from people across the country will help!

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Zip Code

I'd like to subscribe to NILC's email list

The Story:

Jackie and Carlos Merlos have lived in the United States for more than 20 years. They reside in Portland, Oregon, where they are business owners, churchgoers, and parents of four young children, who are all U.S. citizens.

What began as a family reunion quickly turned into a nightmare. On June 28th, Jackie drove with her mother, Juana, and children to Peace Arch State Park, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. The plan was to have a picnic with Jackie’s sister, Flor, who is a Canadian permanent resident. While saying goodbye, Flor stepped over the border line. That’s when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents swooped in and arrested Jackie and her mother — under the false and outlandish allegations of “human trafficking.” All because her sister stepped her foot over a line while hugging her family goodbye.

Agents brought Jackie and the kids to a facility in Ferndale, Washington and separated Juana from them. On July 3rd, ICE also detained Jackie's husband, Carlos, outside their home.

Two weeks after being detained, Jackie was able to speak to her lawyer for the first time only after a lawsuit was filed and a federal judge ordered that communication be granted. Just before Jackie was about to be deported, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the deportation.

Mimi, a longtime family friend, was called to pick up the children from the airport. She has been taking care of them in the months since, as ICE continues to detain their parents. Every day, the children ask Mimi when they will get to see their parents again.

In this single case, immigration agents:

Arrested a family based on a ludicrously false allegation

Interrogated nine- and seven-year-old children without their mother present

Threatened a mother with losing children to foster care if she didn’t agree to voluntarily deport

Broke into a home to confiscate birth certificates in order to expedite passports for U.S. citizen children in the hopes of deporting them

Held a mother and kids in the airport overnight, flashing the lights on and off every 15 minutes to pressure them to get on a plane to leave their lives behind

This is outrageous and demands national attention. ICE must free the Merlos family.

We call on elected officials to help us hold ICE and CBP accountable and demand the release of the Merlos family.