Undocumented Woman Finds Healing And Support In Sanctuary

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church doesn't outwardly attract much attention. The small brick building is situated in the middle of Charlottesville, Va., across the street from the University of Virginia's campus. But over the past ten months, the church has become emblematic of the city's immigration activism, since it became home to an undocumented woman avoiding deportation.

Maria Chavalan Sut, an indigenous Guatemalan woman, came to the United States in 2015 seeking asylum. She passed the credible fear test at the border after she explained how her home had been burned down by a powerful group that wanted to take her land. The Guatemalan civil war and ensuing genocide had been a threat to her family's existence for her entire life. With her home destroyed and fearing another attack, Maria says she had no other option but to leave.

"I didn't know any other way but to come here so I could continue living," Maria says.

Maria relocated to Richmond, Virginia, where she went to weekly check-ins with immigration officers. In 2018, Maria was given a notice to appear in court. The document was written in English and didn't include a place or a time.