Paulina Krynska, 19, of Monroe was deported to Poland on Thursday after battling for several months to reopen her case, according to a Connecticut Post report Friday.
Krynska had told Monroe Patch that she had signed off on a voluntary departure, agreeing to leave the country by Dec. 16 when her last visa ran out. The same day she signed it, the President announced that the country will no longer actively seek to deport illegal immigrants who don't have criminal records and that all existing deportation cases would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal's office worked on Krynska's behalf and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman both signed a letter to President Obama asking for immigration relief, according to the Connecticut Post.
Sarah Magilnick, a friend of Paulina's who lives in the same neighborhood, was among those who fought to keep her here. Supporters visited a Facebook page called "Let's Keep Paulina Home."
Paulina's parents Ewa (pronounced Eva) and Dariusz, who came to America in 1999 and 1998 respectively, may be next. Both are scheduled to go to court for their own deportation case in May. The Krynskas' other daughter, Victoria, was born in the United States, so she can stay here. But Victoria is only 5-years-old.
"They're pretty much separating a family," Paulina told Patch in October.
She plans to live with her grandparents.
"I can speak Polish fluently, but I can't read and write, so finding a job would be difficult," Paulina said.
During the October interview with Patch, the teenager sunk into the couch of her family's home and her eyes welled up as she spoke. "My whole life is here," she said. "... my friends, I also have a boyfriend. I really don't want to leave him."
