JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A recent wave of hundreds of illegal immigrant arrests in Florida has one immigration attorney’s clients on edge as they legally navigate the citizenship process.
The nearly 800 arrests happened under the “Operation Tidal Wave” crackdown, which was initiated across Florida in major counties and cities across the state, including Jacksonville, according to reports.
Immigration attorney Michelle Fanger called it a “heartbreaking” matter.
"Often, when people contact you and you try to help them legalize their status, they are in a frenzy because of what’s happening, you don’t have a relief for them," Fanger said. “So, it’s like you’re trying to be a therapist to them to help them understand that things are happening right now.”
Fanger said that her clients are fearful that they would be next.
“They’re afraid to leave their homes. Afraid to work. They don’t know if they should return to their home country,” she said.
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She even said her clients were afraid to visit the immigration field office for mandatory interviews.
"You have to go because if you don’t go, you’re still in jeopardy of being deported," she said. "They are fearful because until you become a citizen, you’re not fully secured with your status.”
Fanger said she urged her clients to avoid any trouble with law enforcement.
“They have their targeted individuals they are trying to detain,” Fanger said. “But if you are there with legal status next to someone who has a deportation order, they will group you and detain you. So, I tell people to be mindful of where they go and the people they hang with. You don’t know their status.”
She also talked about the reality of parents becoming separated from their children.
“People often assume that if they have a child here, they are entitled to certain rights that would allow them to stay here. But that’s not the case. Someone having a child here does not guarantee any rights here,” she said.