Obtaining U.S. citizenship can be a long and difficult struggle, and many immigrants are threatened with deportation if they do not have the required documentation to stay in the U.S. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers raid homes and businesses, immigrants can face deportation with no warning. Those arrested by officials can be detained indefinitely and denied access to legal advice. As a result of the government’s strict response to undocumented immigrants, a bipartisan rally was held in California recently.
The rally took place at a San Fernando Valley church in California, where politicians and immigration law protesters gathered to speak out against ICE policies. The message was clear; all were calling for a halt to deportations that tear families apart. The rally was targeting the regulations that allow relatives of legal U.S. citizens to be deported, often leaving children without parents and families in ruin.
During the rally, multiple individuals shared personal experiences of their own families being torn apart by immigration laws. Those involved in the campaign are seeking a reform by the government to halt these devastating deportation procedures and move toward what they believe would be a more just citizenship and naturalization system. Campaigners say they are tired of listening to the empty promises of the government on this issue.
If deportation is threatening your family, it can be a frightening experience. It may seem like there is nothing you can do to stop it. However, experienced California immigration attorneys understand the complexities of these cases. Strong cases can be built to challenge a deportation order.
Source: Dailynews, “Speakers seek halt in deportations,” Kevin Modesti, 28 May 2011