Louisiana Man Fights Deportation To Stay With His Family

Jose Torres, a husband and father of two young children, is in an uncertain limbo in a New Orleans church. He sought sanctuary there to avoid deportation so he can continue to be with his family. Originally from El Salvador, he immigrated to the United States to work in the construction trade after Hurricane Katrina.

Increasing Deportations, Growing Fears

He is one of a growing number of immigrants that face potential separation from family members due to President Trump’s renewed prioritization of deportation cases. The fear of deportation is well supported by the fact that the number of Louisiana’s deportations has increased dramatically over the past year.

Controversy

Even though there has been public support for Trump’s new policies, many feel that growing deportations only hurt the economy, public safety and children’s education. Immigrants have been a hard-working mainstay of the region’s economy and their forced exit may spur on a harmful reduction of the workforce.

Safety Concerns

Persons afraid of deportation aren’t reporting crimes because they’re fearful of detection by police. This fear causes crime to rise and makes a whole segment of the population extremely vulnerable to intimidation and violence.

Immigration Advocacy

While many churches and other non-profit groups advocate people from deportation and help keep their families together, immigration attorneys work for clients using their inventiveness as well as their knowledge of the law. Even though there’s a crackdown on immigration, there are still possible options available to stay in the United States.