In July of this year, a young father of two was carrying out his normal duties during his pizza delivery shift. That particular day, his route included a stop to a U.S. army base. The man’s life took a sudden turn for the worse when he was arrested and sent to an immigration detention center. Any Louisiana family that includes someone whose legal status is not secure may want to review this case.
Many people were outraged at the situation. The man had reportedly been ordered to leave the United States in 2010. However, since then, he has been working to rectify that situation. He is married to a U.S. citizen. Both of his children are also U.S. citizens.
Several advocates worked throughout the summer to try to secure the man’s release. A judge overseeing the case ultimately ordered immigration officials to set him free. The federal government recently stated that it does not intend to appeal the judge’s decision. The judge himself said he found it cruel to separate the man from his family and believed it was simply a tactic to fulfill a zero-tolerance policy.
In New York, where the situation took place, Governor Andrew Cuomo decried the U.S. government’s actions, saying the man’s arrest on the job was an outrage. There is no guarantee that a similar immigration detention situation would not occur in Louisiana. It is critical that every immigrant understands his or her rights and knows where to seek legal support to help protect those rights.
