Florida readers who are immigrants or whose households include someone who has emigrated from another country may want to follow a case in another state that involves U.S. immigration law and how it has affected one woman in particular. She came to the United States as a teenager and is now age 36. The woman recently went through a harrowing experience, which she says was prompted by her fear of deportation.
A Peruvian national, the woman has been living and working in the United States for years. She is now the mother of three children, the youngest of whom was recently born in a church hall. The woman has been residing at the church in question as a sanctuary because she worries that U.S. immigration officers will take her into custody if she leaves the facility.
The woman reportedly encountered legal problems some time ago when she purchased a Social Security number. She apparently was unaware that this was illegal. She says she only did it so that she could get a job.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers typically work under a policy that prohibits arresting immigrants at sensitive locations such as church grounds. Advocates speaking about the woman’s case say U.S. immigration law needs to be reformed to help hardworking parents who entered the United States under challenging circumstances and want only to build safe and productive lifestyles for their families. Any immigrant in Florida or elsewhere who is currently concerned about deportation issues may request consultation with an experienced immigration law attorney for support.
