OMAHA, Neb. — ICE raids were scheduled in many cities across the nation Sunday, but one local family who was separated before this weekend is still fighting deportation.
A few weeks ago we introduced you to a local Honduran family who was separated and deported.
"They are still separated, mother and daughter are still in Honduras. They're fine for the moment but sad, they're missing their family. Father and his two children are here in the United States and they're continuing to fight their case," their attorney Lauren Schmoke said.
This was just one family. Sunday marks President Trump's mass deportation orders of illegal immigrants in major cities all around the country, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
"We will be removing large numbers of people," President Trump said.
"If you are come to this position, you've been here years, you've gone through a court system, you have been found that you have to be deported. You have to follow the rule of law," R-House Minority Leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy said.
"Illegal immigrants are detained and deported all the time. But then why was this massive raid announced to the public beforehand? The local attorney here says it's to enlist fear.
"Definitely think it's being used as a scare tactic. Something to show people that they aren't safe in their communities," Schmoke said.
Even though Nebraska isn't on the official list of this national raid, Schmoke says she has seen an uptick in detainment in the local area.
"We have seen children and families detained in Omaha, we have seen this in the last couple of weeks that it has been happening here. The ICE statement is going to say that it's not happening in Nebraska, in Omaha. The fact is, it already has," she said.
So if an ICE officer shows up at your home, what rights do you have?
"You have the right to talk to an attorney, you have the right to make a phone call, you have the right to call somebody, So make sure you know those phone numbers, make sure that you can remember them in a situation where you might be panicking or feeling high stress," Schmoke said.
She also recommends that everyone has their documents with them and that your child knows your full, legal name in case you are separated.
"Most of the time, an ICE officer will not have a warrant signed by the judge. You don't need to open the door unless it is signed by the judge," Schmoke said.
In an official statement we attained from ICE they say, "Due to law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, the agency will not offer specific details related to enforcement operations. As always, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of unlawfully present aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. In fact, 90 percent of aliens arrested by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations component in FY2018 had either a criminal conviction(s), pending criminal charge(s), were an ICE fugitive, or illegally reentered the country after previously being removed. However, all of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and – if found removable by final order – removal from the United States."
