Children separated from mother due to US immigration law

On Behalf of | Dec 9, 2017 | U.s. Immigration Law |

There are currently millions of children in Florida and beyond who have at least one parent who is an undocumented immigrant. U.S. immigration law allows any undocumented person to be detained and scheduled for removal. In one woman’s situation, this meant she was separated from her two young children.

The young mother had a 7-year old son and an infant daughter when she was taken into custody in 2005. She wound up being deported and was placed on the plane that was scheduled to take her to Guatemala without her children in tow. The woman says an immigration officer told her she was not allowed to take her children with her and that they would continue living under state guardianship in the United States.

The woman’s story made headline news across the nation. For the next five years, she fought to get her children back. With the help of an attorney, she finally succeeded. Sadly, so much time had passed leading up to their reunion that the woman’s daughter did not know her.

U.S. immigration law has recently changed where certain temporary protected statuses are concerned, thus leaving many more Florida immigrants and others at risk for deportation. If a person is currently worried about a particular situation in this state, it may help to seek immediate guidance from an immigration law attorney. The removal process can often be halted if a strong defense is presented in court. Allowing an attorney to speak on one’s behalf may increase the chances of obtaining a positive outcome.

Source: npr.org, “When Immigration Detention Means Losing Your Kids“, Dec. 8, 2017

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