Undocumented seeking asylum goes to her hearing protected by her community
South Florida domestic activists gathered in front of an Immigration building to clothe undocumented Honduran Reyna Gomez, facing the possibility that she was…
Gomez, a domestic worker, attended her regular interview with authorities at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Miramar, Broward County, north of Miami.
After appearing before a judge with her lawyer, Gómez left the federal building indicating briefly at the exit that they had kindly treated her and that they reconvened her in two weeks, while they continue examining her case of request of asylum.
Activists and community associations have warned of an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants who are detained for deportation when they go to court hearings, a system known as "silent raids".
"They make fun of us. Immigrants come to their check-ups following the law and many are detained," said to Efe María Bilbao, activist of the group United We Dream, who traveled to Miramar to accompany her partner Gomez.
Bilbao recommended that all undocumented immigrants who are in the process of regularizing their immigration status consult with a lawyer before appearing in a court in one of these ICE buildings.
Gómez, Bilbao explained, continuously checks her status with the authorities in the different audiences she attends, but "now they have asked for more evidence" to remain in the United States.
For this reason, the Honduran attended the interview at the ICE building in Miramar accompanied by a lawyer.
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With the administration of Donald Trump, "we are all priority and they stop you simply for not having a driver's license", criticized Bilbao, who stressed that Reyna, activist of the Miami Workers Center, has spent 15 years living in the United States, contributing to the country's economy with her work.
"My life is literally in danger if I return to Honduras. For 15 years I have done everything to fix my immigration status, but our broken immigration system denies me every opportunity and gives me only 30 days to do something or I could be deported." Gomez said in a statement.
Gomez, who fled her country for domestic violence, suffers from a rare disease of the leukemia spectrum and needs specialized medical attention.
"We are here in solidarity with Reyna and against the war that this government has declared to the poor immigrants, to whom they take away basic services," said to Efe Marcia Olivo, an activist at the Florida Workers' Center.
Olivo affirmed that the "fight for the dignity of the people like Reyna will continue without fainting so that reason and moral prevails".
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