LYNN — Local officials, educators, faith leaders, and community advocates gathered Wednesday in Lynn to support Mariola Perez, a Guatemalan immigrant, educator, and mother facing possible deportation after more than a decade living and working in the United States.

Supporters called on immigration authorities to grant Perez a stay of removal ahead of her scheduled check-in Monday with federal immigration officials in Burlington. 

Lynn Teachers Union President Phil O’Connor said more than 4,300 people signed a petition supporting her request to remain in the country with her 15-year-old son, a U.S. citizen with complex medical needs.

“We are here to support Perez, a community leader, an educator, a congregant, and most importantly, a mother,” O’Connor said while opening the press conference.

“Since arriving in the U.S., she’s become active in our community, volunteering to help others in countless ways, but she now faces the threat of being deported and separated from her son,” he added.

Perez fled Guatemala 16 years ago after enduring violence and persecution as an Indigenous Mayan woman. 

Since arriving in the United States, she has regularly complied with immigration requirements and attended check-ins with federal officials, receiving repeated stays of removal over the years. She was recently informed she could face deportation proceedings at her next appointment.

Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson described Perez as “a productive member of this city and of the Lynn Public Schools community,” highlighting her work as a paraeducator and interpreter serving vulnerable families.

“Deporting her only separates her from her son, who is a U.S. citizen, and deprives students and families of the work she does for this community,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson also tied Perez’s case to broader concerns over immigration enforcement policies.

“As a city, we strongly support public safety, but we do not support immigration enforcement overreach that actually undermines public safety,” he said. “Nothing about the facts of this case suggests deporting her would further public safety in this community.”

Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, said Perez is deeply trusted within Lynn Public Schools.

“She’s an educator people love and trust, kids and parents alike,” Tang said. “Her positive impact in Lynn and in the wider community is really indisputable.”

Tang added that some students and families who wanted to speak publicly in support of Perez ultimately chose not to because they feared retaliation amid the current immigration climate.

“The fear is palpable and will continue to have an impact on the community, especially in our schools,” Tang said. “Families and students are too scared to speak up on behalf of a longtime educator and local mom.”

Faith leaders also joined the call for immigration officials to reconsider. 

Rev. Gustavo Galeano, of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, described Perez as someone devoted to helping others.

“We are here because we want her to have the opportunity to be here in this amazing country,” Galeano said. “We are here united in Lynn for her, her family, and the thousands of people like her.”

Gretchen Rowe, who works alongside Perez in special education inclusion classrooms, described her as “a compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable partner” who regularly volunteers beyond school hours at community events, fundraisers, and student activities.

“She treats her students with kindness and colleagues with respect,” Rowe said. “Removing Perez from the U.S. would be a tremendous loss not only for her son, but for our whole community.”

Thomas Pineros-Shield, an associate professor at Salem State University who has known Perez and her son for more than a decade, became emotional while discussing the family’s situation.

“A few days after she heard this news, I ran into Mariola on the street,” he said. “She told me she was on her way to sign papers that would grant custody of her son in the case that she was detained. Otherwise, her son might face foster care.”

“These are the kinds of decisions that we are forcing our neighbors to make,” he added.

Perez closed the event by thanking supporters while urging broader solidarity with immigrant communities facing similar circumstances.

“As an Indigenous Mayan woman from Guatemala, a mother, an elementary school educator, a student at Salem State University, and a committed human rights defender, I ask teachers, parents, students, advocates, professors, unions, elected officials, and policymakers to stand up for all immigrants, not just for me and my son,” she said.

She spoke emotionally about the toll the uncertainty has taken on her family.

“The fear is real,” Perez said. “The fear of possibly not seeing my son graduate from high school or not being able to keep driving him to his soccer games and watch him become a professional soccer player.”

Perez also connected her current experience to memories of growing up during violence against Indigenous communities in Guatemala.

“This brings back a lot of memories growing up as an Indigenous girl in the highlands of Guatemala,” she said. “The constant fear of not being able to talk about the violence, abuse, and persecution Indigenous children and parents face daily.”

She called for greater investment in schools, mental health, and community services rather than deportation efforts, leading the crowd in a chant of “Education, not deportation.”

After the press conference, Perez said she decided to speak publicly because she has seen fear spreading among immigrant families and students in Lynn schools.

“I’ve been seeing children in the classroom who are already talking about ICE,” she said. “They’re not able to go to the park because they said they’ve seen a black truck. They already know, (at) 5 years old,”

O’Connor announced plans for a Mother’s Day vigil Sunday evening at Red Rock Park and said supporters would accompany Perez to her immigration check-in Monday morning in Burlington.

“She is not alone,” O’Connor told the crowd. “We stand with her.”