US Green Card Holder Held Without Justification: 'A Devoted Mother and Wife, Spent Her Life Giving to Others'

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A 48-year-old woman from Cape Verde, who has been a US green card holder for over 40 years, has been detained by US federal agents without a clear reason. Eva Mendes, a mother of six and grandmother, was visiting her family in Cape Verde after the sudden loss of her brother when she was detained at Boston Logan International Airport on November 5. Mendes, a Rhode Island resident, has had a green card since she was eight years old and has worked and paid taxes in the US for years. Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, claims that she was detained due to minor offenses from her teenage years and a misdemeanor from around 20 years ago. However, Pomerleau argues that these past convictions cannot be used against her. Mendes spent nearly two weeks in detention, missing the birth of her first grandchild, and was later transferred to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine. Her attorney has not been able to speak with her directly, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not provided any details on the case. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover Mendes' legal fees and costs, describing her as a 'devoted wife, a hardworking mother of six, and a woman whose kindness and determination have touched every person lucky enough to know her.' The page highlights her 'life of giving to others,' raising her children with love, working tirelessly to provide for her family, and building a future rooted in faith and perseverance. Pomerleau has expressed his outrage, stating that there is no legal justification for detaining Mendes, a green card holder who has lived in the US for most of her life. He emphasizes that due process applies to all, and when it is denied to some, it is denied to none. As the case continues, Mendes' family and friends are seeking support to secure her release and protect her right to remain in the country she has called home for most of her life.