The Trump administration is pursuing deportation proceedings against the family members of victims who perished in the 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse, including the mother of a 7-year-old girl whose father was among the six construction workers killed in the disaster.
Deportation notice received
Two years after a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Zoila Guerra Sandoval received a letter from immigration authorities informing her that she has been placed in deportation proceedings. This came just four days after the Department of Homeland Security denied her the protections that the Biden administration had previously encouraged her to apply for.
Her attorney, Rachel Girod, stated to The Independent: “We will absolutely be fighting back against deportation. If DHS is going to come at Zoila with every bit of cruelty and indecency they can muster, they better believe that we will fight back for every last one of her rights and we will rally Marylanders to her support along the way.”
Broader context of mass deportations
This case is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to deport millions of people, including thousands who are seeking legal relief. The body of Jose Mynor López, the father of Guerra Sandoval’s 7-year-old U.S. citizen daughter, was the last to be recovered from the wreckage. The victims were originally from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
During the Biden administration, officials approached dozens of family members of the deceased and encouraged them to apply for immigration protections, according to NPR. Girod explained: “She stepped out of the shadows to entrust that they would follow through on the promises that they made to her. With the promise that, ‘In you giving us this information, we’re going to give you a work permit.’ And instead, what they gave her is a hearing in front of an immigration judge with a deportation charge against her.”
Legal challenges ahead
Girod represents several clients connected to the bridge collapse. Approximately 30 people were deemed eligible for immigration relief under the previous administration, but the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies have made the process precarious. Unlike federal courts, immigration courts operate under the Department of Justice, giving the president significant influence.
After Trump took office, the Justice Department instructed judges to grant motions to dismiss cases, making immigrants immediately vulnerable to arrest. Officers are also detaining immigrants at court-mandated check-ins. Guerra Sandoval, who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years without a criminal record, is scheduled to appear in immigration court in July. She may seek other forms of relief, such as protections for parents of children under 21.
Girod added: “The Baltimore Field Office might have forgotten who their neighbors are, but we will remind them.” The Independent has sought comment from Homeland Security.
