Rss@dailykos.com (kelly Macias) · Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 8:46 pm
Parents have many things to consider when raising a child. Establishing provisions for guardianship in the event that one can no longer take care of their children is part and parcel of the job but for undocumented immigrant parents living in the United States, the possibility of separation from one’s children is a grim reality that necessitates an urgency which becomes more pressing by the day.
This is a fear that has been heightened by the Trump administration and its approach to immigration enforcement which basically looks to deport any immigrants who do not hold lawful status—no matter if they have not committed a crime (it’s worth noting that being undocumented in itself is not actually a violation of federal law) or whether or not they have American citizen children.
Advocates say fears of deportation have been spreading. “People are having breakdowns,” said Roberto Hernandez, director of El Centro, a Catholic Charities of Trenton program that works with immigrants.
Citizens whose parents are immigrants have been seeking help to get power of attorney, while children in his program’s youth group have asked what will happen if they have to leave the country, Hernandez told the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Reform and Federal Relations Committee, which heard testimony but did not take action Friday.
And now undocumented parents are preparing themselves for the harsh reality that they may need to leave their children behind to give them opportunities that they could not otherwise get in other countries; or prepare to take them away from the only country that they have ever known.
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