Many immigrants in Florida believe certain issues make them vulnerable to U.S. immigration law enforcement actions. The family of a man in another state says they believe their loved one was a target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. He was recently arrested.
Reportedly, the man has been living, working and raising his five children in the United States for the past 25 years. He is also known in his community as an immigrant advocate and activist who often speaks publicly about immigration issues. This, the family claims, may have been what drew ICE’s attention.
The man and his attorney explained that he actually sent ICE officials an invitation to a particular venue where he had planned on speaking. He wanted to show other immigrants that there is no reason to fear ICE. The plan seems to have backfired because not only did the agency decline the invitation, its officers took the man into custody several weeks later.
The man is now under the watch of U.S. Marshals. The government says the arrest has to do with an undocumented entrance into the United States in 2004. The man’s wife is worried sick that her husband will be deported, leaving her alone to care for their five children.
U.S. immigration law contains many requirements that all immigrants who wish to take up residence in this country must fulfill. There are extenuating circumstances that warrant actions outside of the usual steps of application, such as someone fleeing violence in a country of origin who arrives at a U.S. border without papers and seeks asylum. Florida immigrants worried about similar issues that the man in this case is now facing may want to explore their options by seeking consultation with an experienced immigration law attorney.
