Victory! Jennifer Lopez's deportation cancelled after explosive petition effort

This week, Jennifer Lopez (the Dreamer, not the pop star) and her family received incredible news: the DREAM Act-eligible young woman who faced deportation was granted a reprieve after more than 38,000 people signed her petition on Change.org.

The campaign was started by a Florida-based youth organization called Students Working for Immigrant Rights and Manuel Guerra, a Dreamer who successfully fought his own deportation on Change.org and had never met Jennifer Lopez in person. Student activists say that under recent guidelines issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Lopez did not meet the criteria for deportation because she had no criminal background, was brought to the country as a young child, and continued to care for two critically ill and handicapped siblings, both of whom are U.S. citizens.

“Today is one of my best days ever,” said Jennifer Lopez, upon learning that her deportation would be canceled. “I'm very grateful for the opportunity to stay here with my family who needs me. They are everything to me. I know that this would not be happening without the help of Manuel Guerra and my lawyer Richard Hujber, organizations like Students Working For Immigrant Rights and United We Dream, and all the people who took their valuable time to read and sign my petition on Change.org. ”

Manuel Guerra gathered thousands of signatures, mobilized a social media campaign, and successfully pressured Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Jennifer from detention prior to the cancelation of her deportation. The campaign was covered by CNN en Español, ABC, and CBS. "This is the result of what happens when ordinary people like us get together and decide to take action," Guerra said. "When I heard from Jennifer's attorney that DHS would close the case I was immediately grateful for everyone who signed our petition on Change.org and all those who continue to turn their beliefs into action."

The growth and ultimate success of Manuel Guerra’s campaign to stop the deportation of Jennifer Lopez, a woman he had never met but with whom he shared a similar struggle, is a clear example of Change.org’s platform fulfilling its purpose: to empower anyone, anywhere to achieve meaningful change on the issues they care about.

"Our office is extremely excited to have helped our client, Jennifer Lopez, successfully dismiss the deportation case against her.  I will never forget our telephone conversation the day Jennifer was taken into custody by ICE (Immigration)," Lopez's attorney, Richard Hujber reflected. "She was extremely scared and in tears.  I was surprised and delighted by the number of people who signed the petition for Jennifer on Change.org.  I know for a fact that the prosecutor had a thick stack of documents in his file, showing the public interest in this case, and that the tens of thousands of petitions made a huge difference.  I am continually impressed by Manuel Guerra, who continues to fight campaigns for so many immigrants like Jennifer- many he does not even know in person."

"If Jennifer had not been released from ICE custody within 24 hours," Hujber continued, "she would have been denied a bond by the judge at that ICE detention facility, and more than likely deported before Christmas.  Thank God we got her out."

Like Manuel Guerra, Jennifer Lopez hopes to one day be able to support other people like herself fighting to keep their families together. For now, the Lopez family is happily reunited in Palm Beach, Florida.