“Gisella was able to exhale in a way she hasn’t been able to since she went into sanctuary,” said Tara Parrish, director of the Pioneer Valley Project, a social justice organization that aided Collazo during her stay at South Congregational.

A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that a stay of removal was issued for Collazo, but said it is the agency’s policy not to comment on the specifics of individual cases.

According to the Pioneer Valley Project, Collazo came to the United States from Peru in 2001. She married in 2005, and she received a work permit in 2006. Her attempts to become a US citizen hit legal snags, however, and in January she was told to return with a ticket to Peru on March 26.

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