Immigration activists advise President not to split up families

Many families have come to the United States to seek a better life for their children and themselves. Florida residents may be concerned though to learn that soon, a group of immigrants may receive word from President Trump that they will be deported.

Immigration rights advocates are asking the Trump administration to extend legal assistance to families in the United States temporarily from Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Haiti. The immigrants are in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will decide in the coming weeks whether to extend the status. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants are affected by the TPS status. Advocates say that many families will be broken up if people are forced to return to their home countries. Honduran TPS immigrants have been in the U.S. for an average of 23 years and 19 years on average for those from El Salvador. Some say that the designation was never meant to be permanent.

Immigrants who are facing uncertainty regarding their legal status can feel anxious and stressed. An immigration attorney may be able to help their clients work through their immigration issues. They can aggressively defend their client’s interests and help them keep their family together. An attorney has experience with various complicated immigration issues and believes that an immigrant has legal rights. There are numerous visas that a family can apply for, and an immigration attorney can review their client’s situation and advise them on their various options.

Those who are in the United States through the TPS status may be forced to leave soon. This can be devastating for many families in the Miami area. Those who are concerned about this issue may want to seek the help they need to make informed choices.

Source: Miami Herald, “Miami immigrant advocates urge Trump not to separate TPS families“, Jacqueline Charles, Oct. 27, 2017