Source: WBUR
Immigration Customs Enforcement arrested five people last week in Lawrence, Kansas, when they appeared for scheduled appointments to earn their U.S. Citizenship at the Immigration Services office.
Three of them were in the middle of becoming permanent residents, yet ICE told reporters that the group was under instruction to detain each of those people.
The aggressiveness with which ICE has been arresting undocumented immigrants – even some that are in the middle of earning their citizenship – has caused families and children to flee from situations in which they might confront government officials, and has even led to families giving up their access to governmental assistance programs, such as food stamps.
Communities of undocumented families and Latino families especially, have reported insecurities and fears about deportation, causing them to withdraw from normal daily activities, like going to doctor’s appointments or going to school.
Brian Doyle, an attorney who is representing one of the detainees, said “This is an example of the difficult situation for many immigrants living in the country illegally, who are forced to weigh the costs and benefits of keeping an appointment with an immigration official in light of new deportation priorities set by President Trump.”
Read full story at: WBUR