You may recall back in November we wrote about the Rodriguez-Flores family, who had sought sanctuary in a United Church in Sherbrooke. Well, they are still living at Plymouth-Trinity and the community is supporting them in every way they can. It must have been a great relief to Georgina, Manuel and Manolo when the church had a shower installed for their use! Community members have been donating money and time to purchase and deliver groceries and other necessities to the family.
Now, Plymouth-Trinity pastor Samuel Dansokho has started a petition to push for legal status in Canada for the trio, who fear for their lives if returned to Mexico.
Below is the text (English version) written by Pastor Samuel and shared as a petition.
What we know about the Rodriguez-Flores family is a compelling story that cannot be ignored. Please, consider the following:
In her homeland of Mexico, Ms. Georgina Flores was subjected by the drug cartel “Los Zetos” to several attempts at extortion and forced recruitment to use her restaurant as a site for the marketing of drugs. After she refused to cooperate, Ms. Flores’s business was torched in retaliation. As a result, the family returned to Canada in 2018 in fear of their lives.
A few months later, in 2019, the same cartel attempted to burn alive their daughter Claudia, whom they had left behind, by setting fire to the house where she resided, after having sequestered her in the bathroom, in the company of her young child and her partner. These attempted murders are documented, and their lawyer, Stewart Istvanffy, will make a point of submitting the evidence.
In our opinion, deporting the family to Mexico would mean sending them to certain death, given the situation of human rights violations, as well as the collusion existing between the all-powerful cartels and certain public bodies supposed to protect the population.
Between the time of their arrival and the notice of deportation, the family had already integrated well into the Sherbrooke community. The parents, Georgina Flores and Manuel Rodriguez had a job in a PPD Group factory and were taking French language courses. Their 18-year-old son Manolo is finishing high school at Goéland and worked at a pastry shop, Mr. Puff's. The Rodriguez-Flores family has shown tenacity and perseverance in integrating into Sherbrooke society. Since 2018, having become financially independent, they have contributed to the economic development of society, paying their taxes honestly and enthusiastically participating in social activities organized by various organizations. These actions have earned them recognition and admiration from local citizens, who now give them moral support. They all enjoy the esteem of their employers, colleagues, and neighbours, as demonstrated by numerous gestures of solidarity and letters of support.
On November 8, 2021, the family was informed by the Canada Border Services Agency of the rejection of their request that their deportation be postponed. So, with no other option left, the family applied for protection - a place of Sanctuary - with Plymouth-Trinity United Church, Sherbrooke. The Plymouth-Trinity faith community, drawing on its millennial spiritual roots, as well as the ancient canonical practice of Sanctuary, opened its doors to them. The community is convinced that it could not do otherwise and that its understanding of the Gospel clearly called upon it to provide them with Sanctuary, as a sacred duty.
The family's lawyer is going out of his way to allow their legal situation to be regularized. It is your prerogative to respond favorably to that endeavor. We ask you to please use your discretion, if only on a humanitarian basis. Canada, our dear country, will thus remain worthy of its reputation as a land of asylum for those oppressed or in danger to their existence.
-Rev. Samuel V. Dansokho
Note: This petition is online at change.org, titled “Grant the Rodriguez-Flores family legal status”