Local activists are urgently rallying support for local community leader Blanca Martinez, who is at risk of deportation. Although I do not know her personally, I am friends with members of her found family here in Salem. They love her deeply and are terrified for her. Please take a few minutes to learn more about Blanca's life and why she belongs here in Salem.
Blanca was raised in an orphanage in Honduras. Her parents had abandoned her after she was diagnosed with polio when she was just an infant. Throughout her childhood, she endured multiple surgeries and was often sick for long stretches at a time. When she reached adulthood, she faced discrimination due to her disability and could not find work. She was poor, alone, and in need of medical treatment. After enduring violent abuse, she realized she would not survive if she remained in Honduras.
Blanca's journey north was long and perilous. She literally walked on crutches from Guatemala to Mexico. When she finally reached the U.S. border, she broke her leg attempting to flee ICE agents. She endured hell in an ICE detention facility. A Salem-based attorney learned about her plight and helped her apply for asylum and relocate her to Massachusetts.
Blanca has thrived here in Salem for over a decade. She became a housing and immigrant justice leader within the Essex County Community Organization (ECCO). She also co-founded a worker-owned cleaning cooperative, Shine Together, which provides a community-based alternative to economic systems that marginalize immigrants. She is a beloved member of the St. Peter's-San Pedro Episcopal Church community.
Earlier this year, Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo honored Blanca as one of Salem's local heroes. In his statement, he said, "Blanca's story is one of resilience and it's representative of how a community is strengthened and made more whole by the presence of new voices." He also featured Blanca on his monthly podcast in March.
Blanca's Next ICE Check-In
Unfortunately, Blanca has received repeated denials on appeal in her asylum case. She is required to check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Burlington, MA on September 15th. This appointment marks her third required check-in over the last year. Her previous two check-ins were back-to-back in August and September of last year.
These appointments are nerve-wracking because they carry the risk of detention and deportation. During Trump's second term, arrests during routine ICE check-ins have skyrocketed according to the Deportation Data Project. Although local data is not readily available, over half of the ICE arrests in San Francisco between January and October 2025 had occurred during routine check-ins.
Last year, a coalition of local organizations mobilized large rallies to support Blanca at each of her check-ins. This coalition included Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), Episcopal City Mission, LUCE Immigrant Justice Network, Matahari Women Workers Center, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Neighbor 2 Neighbor, Unitarian Universalist Mass Action, and the Welcome Immigrant Network.
During Blanca's ICE check-in last September, nearly 500 community members peacefully demonstrated outside of the Field Office, including Mayor Pangallo, State Representative Manny Cruz, and Bishop Julia Whitworth of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. She walked free that day and was given a year's reprieve from deportation, which she described as a miracle.
Now, on September 15th, Blanca will once again enter the ICE Field Office in Burlington uncertain of her fate. One of three things can happen at this meeting: she will be detained and deported on the spot or she will be given a 2-week notice to self-deport, or she will receive another stay of deportation.
One thing is clear: there is no life for Blanca in Honduras. In 2019, a Boston Globe reporter asked her what she would do if she was deported. She replied that she would "throw herself off a bridge."
With stakes this high, we must do everything we can to support our neighbor and friend. Organizers are once again planning a rally outside of the Burlington ICE Field Office during her check-in appointment. They also are asking for letters of support to be sent to the Burlington ICE Field Office Director Patricia Hyde. In a statement, organizers write:
"ICE is betting that a year is long enough for us to stop caring. We know better; we will not give up on our sister Blanca, or any members of our community terrorized by ICE. The reality is Blanca’s case is one of thousands in Massachusetts. The cruelty and absurdity of this system is designed to overwhelm and divide us. We choose not to back down."
Ways to Stand With Blanca
Here are time-sensitive actions to take to support Blanca before and during her check-in appointment at the Burlington ICE Field Office on September 15th.
Contact Burlington ICE Field Office Director Patricia Hyde
Below is the letter to use to contact the Burlington ICE Field Office Director Patricia Hyde Be sure to BCC the Salem LUCE Hub so they can keep track of how many messages have been sent. Please also let them know if/when you receive any responses.
To: Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov
Subject: Grant Blanca a Stay of Removal
Dear Director Hyde,
I am emailing today to ask that you grant Blanca Martinez a stay of removal.
Blanca, a survivor of childhood polio living with physical disabilities and mobility issues, has been a Massachusetts resident for over a decade and has deep ties in her local community.
In 2019 and 2025 the Boston Field Office recognized the humanitarian grounds of Blanca’s case and granted her stays of deportation, allowing her to remain with her community. Today, under your leadership, Blanca once again faces the threat of deportation despite the same compelling circumstances that once protected her.
Under these same grounds today, we demand that you grant Blanca a Stay of Removal to remain in her home with her community.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME & TOWN]
Please also sign & share this petition.
Action Network
Plan to Attend 9/15 Rally To Support Blanca
Take the morning off and plan on rallying outside of the Burlington ICE Field Office during Blanca's appointment.
Spread the Word
Invite your family and friends join this campaign. Organizers have created messaging templates to rally support for Blanca in multiple formats:
Contact Faith Leaders
If you are connected to a faith community, ask your faith leaders to attend the rally outside of the Burlington ICE field office on September 15th in support of Blanca. Use the sample letter below.
Dear [Faith Community Leader Name]
Blanca, an organizer, advocate, woman of faith, and friend to many of us, once again faces the risk of being detained on the spot or being given a 2-week notice to self deport at her next ICE check-in. Last year, when Blanca faced the same risk, we mobilized clergy and over 400 community members to accompany Blanca to her check-ins.
Our collective power resulted in Blanca being granted a 1-year stay of deportation, what Blanca described as "a miracle". Now, one year later, we will not give up on our sister Blanca. The support of the faith community played a pivotal role in safeguarding Blanca’s rights a year ago. Blanca needs you again Tuesday, September 15, 2026 @ 8am.
As faith leaders we understand the moral imperative to welcome the immigrant and the marginalized, and to care for the disabled and the sick. By bringing Blanca’s story into the public eye, we hope to foster compassion, underscore that no human being is illegal, and inspire action from people of all faiths, advocacy groups, legal representatives, and concerned citizens.
We are calling on faith leaders to show up to accompany Blanca on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, write letters of support for Blanca, as well as tell Blanca’s story in their congregations.
Faith leaders RSVP to accompany and support Blanca
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME & TOWN]
Further Resources
David Paulsen
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