Is a marriage license, alone, protection from deportation?

As noted, marriage to a US citizen and having children on US soil do not confer protection against deportation. Showing your marriage license won't do any good. Several months ago, the mother of two students at my school was deported. Her marriage license and the birth certificates of her children didnt keep the police from arresting her in front of her family. Happens all the time. The police and ICE will arrest and then release a suspected illegal immigrant if there are minor children at home and no one else to care for them, but otherwise, documents showing family ties to US citizens are useless if stopped by the police. What counts is direct evidence of legal status such as a valid visa in a passport or a green card. You have two choices: marry and file for her or she continues to be at risk of deportation.