Missouri ‘soccer mom’ facing deportation is released from custody

Beloved Missouri 'soccer mom' detained by ICE

The rural Missouri farming town of Kennett, Missouri is reeling after a beloved member of their community was detained by federal immigration officers and faces deportation. Lisa Dry, a member of the Kennett City Council, talks with LiveNow from FOX about efforts to "bring Carol home."

Carol Mayorga, the Missouri "soccer mom" who made national headlines after she was arrested by federal immigration officers and detained for more than a month, has been released from custody.

Her attorney Raymond Bolourtchi confirmed the news in a phone interview with LiveNow from FOX. 

"Today our hearts are overflowing — Carol is finally home, and we couldn’t be more grateful," Liridona Ramadani, whose family owns the restaurant where Carol works, said on Facebook. "After everything she’s been through, seeing her back where she belongs is nothing short of a miracle."

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Community rallied to ‘bring Carol home’

The backstory:

Carol, whose legal name is Ming Li Hui, came to the U.S. from Hong Kong more than 20 years ago. She’s a homeowner, a mother of three children and works up to three jobs to support her family in rural Kennett, Missouri. 

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Carol has been under a deportation order for more than a decade, but the government had never made her leave. Instead, they allowed her to remain in the country under what’s called orders of supervision, and also granted her authorization to work in the U.S. 

Carol Mayorga, whose legal name is Ming Li Hui, is facing deportation after 21 years in the U.S. (John's Pancake & Waffle House)

That all changed on April 30, when Carol was arrested by federal immigration officers after they called her to their office in St. Louis for what she thought was a routine meeting. The federal government told Carol her order of supervision was being terminated, and she was facing deportation back to Hong Kong. 

The Kennett community, where Carol works at a local diner and is active in the Catholic church, rallied for her release after news of her detention spread. Her bosses at John’s Waffle & Pancake House met with Carol’s attorney. They called local officials and wrote to members of Congress. Her employers also organized a "Carol Day" fundraiser at the pancake house that raised nearly $20,000. 

Sheryl Crow, the musician who grew up in Kennett, voiced her support for Carol in an Instagram message. 

Big picture view:

Carol’s arrest also shed light on the consequences of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda. In Carol’s corner of Missouri, where Trump won 80% of the vote, the community grappled with their support for Carol, while also supporting Trump’s plans for mass deportations. 

Carol granted ‘temporary safe haven’

What's next:

Bolourtchi, Carol’s attorney, said the government released her under the Deferred Enforced Departure program that grants certain migrants from Hong Kong a "temporary safe haven" in the U.S. 

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It doesn’t mean she can stay in the U.S. permanently, but it does mean she can return to her family for now. One of Carol’s neighbors drove four hours to pick her up from jail on Wednesday, and she returned to a parking lot full of family and friends who were waiting to celebrate her homecoming. 

What they're saying:

"One moment we’ll never forget: when her kids ran into her arms for the first time in over a month. There wasn’t a dry eye in sight," Ramadani said on Facebook. "Many of us stood there with tears streaming down our faces, overwhelmed by the pure love in that hug. It was one of those moments that reminds you what truly matters … Welcome home, Carol. We’ve missed you so much."

Bolourtchi said "the fight is not over" as Carol’s case proceeds, "but for now, all I have is thanks."

"I’m just moved at how many people gathered at what I conclude was a late hour to welcome her back home," Bolourtchi said. "Love and humanity has no boundaries, no time, no gender, no color. I’m grateful for so many people that stood behind her, set aside rhetoric with true love and compassion, and that’s what sets us apart as a nation. On the eve of our 250th birthday it’s such a reminder that this is what this nation is founded on."