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The woman, an integral part of the Lynn community, is likely to be detained and deported by ICE next week, advocates say.

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Officials, teachers, and others rallied in Lynn yesterday with the hopes of preventing the deportation of a woman who works as a paraprofessional in a school there. 

The woman, Mariola Perez, came to the U.S. from Guatemala 16 years ago. In her home country, she faced “discrimination, exploitation, poverty, and abuse” because of her Indigenous Mayan identity, according to a petition shared by advocates. Perez lived through a civil war at a young age, then saw her father killed. She decided to flee the country after she was threatened while pregnant. 

Over the past 16 years, Perez learned English and earned an associate’s degree while raising her son as a single mom in Massachusetts. She is working towards earning a bachelor’s degree at Salem State University, according to advocates. 

She works as a paraprofessional at an elementary school in Lynn, and is a member of the Lynn Teacher’s Union. Advocates also describe her as a “trained medical interpreter” who works in the community and a “beloved member” of Saint Joseph Catholic church in Lynn. 

Her son, who is a U.S. citizen, is now 15 years old, according to officials. They are pleading with federal immigration officials to allow Perez to stay with her son and continue contributing to her community. 

Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and all 11 members of the Lynn City Council signed a letter late last month addressed to “whom it may concern” in the federal government. They urged immigration enforcement officials to rethink her deportation. 

“Mariola consistently goes above and beyond in service to others. She volunteers her time to interpret and support vulnerable community members, ensuring they can access critical resources and feel seen and heard. Her compassion, resilience, and commitment to her community are widely recognized,” the officials wrote.

In 2013, Perez was arrested for an alleged traffic offense after being “racially profiled while driving,” advocates said. Local police shared her information with ICE, leading her to be placed in removal proceedings. Perez has dutifully appeared at check-ins with ICE officials at the agency’s Burlington office every year since then, advocates said. 

At her appointment with ICE this year, she was told to return on May 11 and to prepare for the possibility of detainment and deportation. 

“Her son, who suffers from chronic health issues and has grown up with the constant fear of seeing his mother deported, is now facing a potential reality no child should ever have to deal with. If Mariola is deported he would be left with no parent in the country where he was born and raised,” advocates said. 

So far, more than 4,500 people have signed the petition urging ICE officials to allow Perez to stay in Lynn. 

Nicholson, American Federation of Teachers President Jessica Tang, other educators, and community members joined Perez on Wednesday afternoon for a rally in front of Lynn City Hall. 

Multiple families who know Perez wanted to attend the rally and speak on her behalf, but chose to skip the public event out of fears that the federal government could engage in “retribution” and put them at risk, Tang said. 

“That’s where we are right now under this current immigration climate. Families and students are too scared to speak up on behalf of a longtime educator and local mom. The fear is palpable and will continue to have an impact on the community, especially in our schools,” Tang said. 

Community members are planning to gather for a Mother’s Day vigil and rally on Sunday night, the day before Perez is scheduled to meet with ICE. It will take place in Red Rock Park in Lynn.

Nicholson spoke Wednesday about his desire to keep Perez in Lynn, saying her deportation would negatively impact her son and the wider Lynn community. 

“As a city, we strongly support public safety. But we do not support immigration enforcement overreach that actually undermines public safety and conflicts with our values,” Nicholson said. “Nothing about the facts suggests that deporting [Perez] would in any way further public safety in this community, and she deserves, we deserve, to have her stay.”