Approximately 120 undocumented individuals from Central America were arrested this past weekend and are currently in the process of being deported to their home countries, the Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the undocumented immigrants were primarily arrested in the States of Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. Reportedly, the weekend raids focused on those who arrived recently, mainly from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Immigration advocates and activists are trying to educate the public about the fact that the rush of Central Americans fleeing their countries is the result of a humanitarian crisis, stating that they should have an opportunity to plead their case for refugee status because of the raging violence they escaped. Indeed, it has been suggested that the current raids are re-traumatizing individuals who have already undergone traumatic conditions, leaving undocumented individuals around the country vulnerable and terrified.
Edward Shulman, Esq., Immigration Attorney and leading deportation expert representing the Shulman Law Group, LLC, said in an interview in front of City Hall in Paterson, New Jersey yesterday afternoon that “without proper information and counsel, traumatized refugees often do not understand their legal rights to advocate for their needs in order to adjust their status in the United States.” Indeed, Mr. Shulman explained that many of these individuals have legitimate political asylum cases but need the proper legal guidance in order to process these applications in a timely and effective manner. He urged undocumented individuals to take action to educate themselves before they are faced with the potentiality of an agent from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) coming to their homes without warning.