A Guatemalan woman who has been living in the United States for 13 years has announced she has sought sanctuary with two of her children in a New York church in an attempt to avoid deportation. Thirty-two-year-old Debora Berenice Vasquez spoke to the press on Thursday.

Debora Berenice Vasquez: “When I received notice to leave this country, I was heartbroken. I could not think about what it would do to my family, to my kids. It will rip us apart. I understand now what mothers are feeling that are being separated from their children. And it’s important that we remember that this is not only happening on the border, but it is also happening in New York and in cities and states across the country.”

Debora Berenice Vasquez, speaking inside the St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church.