Immigration

Not only are these kids being separated from their families, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just waived FBI background checks for caregivers working at the Tornillo detention center. Right now, there are over 2,000 teens being held in Tornillo - apart from their families. With no guardian, these kids are left in the hands of DHS staff who could possibly have a colored past, that could even involve child endangerment or abuse. If it’s not ok for American children in public schools, it’s not ok for kids being held against their will by DHS. Tell DHS to reinstate background checks for all staff at Tornillo. The 2,100 staff at Tornillo haven’t had to undergo FBI background checks or fingerprinting, something anyone working at a daycare would have to do. Instead, DHS is outsourcing background screening to private contractors who have limited access to criminal records. Tell DHS to reinstate FBI background checks for Tornillo staff. Tornillo started holding children in June. As a ‘temporary facility’, it started holding 360 kids separated from their families. Now it looks like this facility will become permanent. Over 1,300 teens were sent to Tornillo since the end of October alone. Now it holds 2,324 13-17 year olds in tents. For comparison, more people are detained in Tornillo than in all but one of America’s 204 federal prisons. In terms of economic price, Tornillo will cost taxpayers $430 million this year. It’s bad enough that DHS has torn these kids from their families, the least they can do is ensure that kids in detention centers like Tornillo are not put into contact with criminals. If DHS gets away with waiving FBI background checks for staff dealing with minors, countless kids could be put at risk. Tell DHS to bring back FBI background checks for all staff at Tornillo.

My name is Maria Maceda , please i need your help. My husband Lorenzo Maceda had a brain anurysm on june 6 2014. He has been getting checked every six months. He lost part of his sight. He gets confused all the time, therefor, we have to repeat everything that we say to him because his brain does not hold the information. The doctors say it is likely for him to get another one , On January 10, this year , he had an appointment with the immigration office and was ordered to be deported. He is supposed to leave the country in six month. Families  that know what a brain anurysm is, will understand how scary it is for me and my family to let him go like that. He can’t support himself ,  I’ve been working all this years to support my family. Reasons for which he should stay in this country: 1.)His brain anurysm 2.)He has a clean record 3.)He worked for 20 years in a American Restaurant 4.)He tried so hard all this years to get legalized  5.) He has no one back in his country to take care of him, the way his family does And last but not least , he has 4 kids and a wife for 25 years, and just the sadness of beening far from us can cause him another brain anurysm. Please help our family and support people with brain anurysms. Thank you.        

The Trump administration recently announced a change to the upcoming 2020 Census. Everyone will be asked about citizenship status, which has caused panic in immigrant communities. Millions of undocumented people could opt-out of completing the Census for fear of being targeted by the Trump administration. The Census is about identifying who we are as a country. But up to six million U.S. citizen children may not be counted because they live with an undocumented family member. Using fear tactics against undocumented Americans would literally erase them from our nation’s history. This change impacts all Americans. The 2010 Census was used to determine distribution for about a third of federal assistance and 75% of federal grants. If you live in a community with a significant immigrant population, your town could be dramatically under-funded by this political move. Immigrants are the backbone of American communities. We cannot allow the U.S. Department of Commerce to put vulnerable communities at risk. The Trump administration can try to erase our national identity, but as Americans we must all stand up and be counted. Sign now to stop this change to the Census.

My dad, Shahid Qureshi, entered the US via a work Visa years before I was a thought. In 1974 our government issued him a social security number. He has always been a hard working, tax paying God fearing man. My parents married (my mom a local to Georgia) a few years later and eventually had 3 three children together. We lost my older brother 10 years ago, he passed away at 24 after an accident left him quadriplegic at 21. And now I feel like I’ve lost my dad too. In the late 1980s a government official made untrue statements about my father at an immigration hearing. These statements led to an order of deportation against him. My dad's attorney filed via the Freedom of Information Act 3 times to obtain his full file to prove that the testimony had been untruthful against him. Each time his lawyer received these documents, the papers he needed were missing. The office that held these documents closed and they moved the files to another building and for a 4th time my dad's lawyer filed under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the documents to prove the government official was not being truthful. This fourth attempt was successful. But we learned that the statue of limitation was up to prosecute the man for perjury. My father went before the Board of Immigration with this evidence and had the testimony stricken from his record. Next my dad filed via the LIFE Act to get his pathway to citizenship back on track, and when he finally got a response he was denied based off at one point and times there was something unfavorable said at his immigration hearing. My father was a boilermaker by trade and had clearances to work in nuclear facilities. Above that, my father is a wonderful man, a prime example of what a true American is. He has hundreds of letters of character to show his character. There had been an order of deportation issued based off this mans false testimony. My father has always complied with immigration and never missed a check in. He has always maintained a valid work permit and drivers license. He was a contributing member of society. On May 4th, 2018 when my dad went to Atlanta, Ga for his routine check in, he was detained and deported within 12 days. He didn’t even see a judge, even though his assigned ICE agent had seen all the documents pertained to my dad's legal status and the false testimony. My dad (who is NOT a felon) was deported with a 10 year bar from returning to US soil. My dad is a 69-year-old heart patient with stints. He is now in Pakistan where he loses electricity for multiple hours everyday. My children who are 8 and 10 are devastated. Sometimes my son refuses to eat because he misses his Poppa. This was a senseless deportation, my dad should have been a citizen a long time ago. My heart is broken and a fear I will never see my dad again. 44 years he paid US taxes and now our government has turned off his benefits. Deported him and robbed him of his hard earned money. It’s so unfair. Please help bring my father back to where he belongs. I’ve cried everyday for 6 months. We have to have a check and balance system to these mass deportations. Ken Amaro from First Coast News demanded the director in Atlanta of ICE to investigate my father's situation, and instead they quickly deported him. Please help my family. I am a US citizen and was raised to be a proud American. My father Shahid Qureshi deserves an investigation into his situation at the very least.    Please help bring my dad home! https://www.gofundme.com/bring-shahid-qureshi-home