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Putting It All On the Line

By Liz Rothaus Bertrand


The Sanchez Family


Huntersville resident Doris Meeks remembers the scene like it was yesterday. The doorbell rang and standing before her was Gabriel Sanchez, the conscientious young man who took care of all her yard work. With big tears rolling down his cheeks, he told her: “They’re sending me back to Mexico.”


Until that moment in early March 2020, Meeks had no idea that Sanchez was undocumented. But seeing his distress and knowing him from the years of quality work he had provided to her family, she was concerned.


“That’s whe