Author: Valeria Fernández

Bio: Valeria Fernández is an independent journalist from Uruguay with more than a 14 years experience as a bilingual documentary producer and reporter on Arizona’s immigrant community and the US-Mexico borderlands. She co-directed and produced "Two Americans,” a documentary that parallels the stories of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and a 9-year-old U.S. citizen whose parents were arrested by the sheriff’s deputies that aired in Al Jazeera America. Her work as reporter for the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting on the economic and social impacts of a mine spill in Northern Mexico broadcast in PBS, San Diego and won an Arizona Press Club recognition for environmental reporting in 2016. She freelances for a number of print, digital and broadcast media outlets, including Feet in 2 Worlds, CNN Español, Radio Bilingue, PRI's Global Nation, Al Jazeera, and Discovery Spanish.

Contributions:

Children of Detained Immigrants Call for End to Raids in Arizona: Raid Today One of the Largest

Posted on: 13 Aug 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona — While the Obama administration has established new federal guidelines to focus on employers that break the law by hiring undocumented workers, local authorities in Maricopa County are going in the opposite direction, and increasing the crackdown on employees. Just today sheriff’s deputies conducted one of the largest raids to date at a […]

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” – Immigrants in Arizona Weigh Recession and Anti-Immigrant Policies

Posted on: 07 Aug 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona — When things got tough in Arizona, many families decided to leave to avoid being caught in the local illegal immigration crackdown. But Maria Garcia’s family wouldn’t move. When her husband was fired for not having legal documents, they stayed and weathered the storm. After 23 years, the Garcias say they’re here to […]

Farewell to a Compañero: Former Guest Workers From Mexico Mourn the Loss of One of Their Own

Posted on: 26 Jul 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona — Flowers in hand, day or night, visitors have been coming to the little house of Catalino Díaz Villa‘s widow to pay their respects after his death. Some never met him, but to them he is a brother. They share a common bond: they all were farmworkers in the American countryside as part […]

Questions Raised Over New Rules Governing Local Enforcement of U.S. Immigration Laws

Posted on: 14 Jul 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona –The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office leads the nation when it comes to the number of local officers deputized by the federal government to enforce U.S. immigration laws. Now the program known as 287 (g) is about to change. But the impact of those changes, announced on Friday by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet […]

Anti-Immigrant Bills Fail in Arizona and Human Rights Activists Celebrate

Posted on: 10 Jul 2009

PHOENIX, Arizona — A wave of bills aimed at criminalizing undocumented immigrants in Arizona have failed in the state legislature. Divisive budget discussions and a split in the Republican Party, which holds the majority in the legislature, have been cited as reasons for the defeats. But local human rights activists, who organized opposition to the […]

In Puerto Rico, Sotomayor Becomes a Celebrity and a Source of Hope for Self-Determination

Posted on: 02 Jul 2009

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Sonia Sotomayor has gone from virtually unknown to a symbol of national pride for Puerto Ricans after her nomination by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Supreme Court. “This has been a major event in our country, very flattering,” said Marcial Díaz, 61, a Humacao resident who chose the Spanish […]

Sharpton in Arizona Evokes Civil Rights Struggle in Fight for Immigration Reform

Posted on: 22 Jun 2009

Activists plan “freedom rides” to monitor alleged civil rights abuses by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office PHOENIX, Arizona — In a visit that drew heavily on the tactics and symbolism of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Rev. Al Sharpton came to Phoenix on Friday to call for unity between African-Americans and Hispanics in a […]

Immigrant Family Torn Apart in Arizona Raid

Posted on: 17 Jun 2009

Sheriff Arpaio has arrested 248 immigrants in raids allegedly aimed at unlawful hiring, but no employer has been penalized. PHOENIX, Arizona — Katherine Figueroa was playing outside her home Saturday morning when she overheard the news coming from a nearby TV. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office had just raided the car wash where her father […]

Arizona Bill Would Criminalize the Presence of Undocumented Immigrants in the State

Posted on: 11 Jun 2009

By Valeria Fernández, FI2W contributor PHOENIX, Arizona — Undocumented immigrants in Arizona could face jail terms for simply being in the state under a series of bills gathering momentum in the state legislature. A bill approved Wednesday by a Senate committee (SB 1175) would allow any police officer to arrest an undocumented immigrant under charges […]

Gay Marriage Meets the Immigration Debate: A Bill Would Allow Sponsoring a Same-Sex Partner

Posted on: 26 May 2009

By Valeria Fernández, FI2W contributor PHOENIX, Arizona — David used to be one of those people who say: “Get out of our country if you don’t belong here.” That was until he fell in love with an undocumented immigrant. After seven years of living together, David, an American citizen, worries about his same-sex partner’s ability […]