Orange County supervisors pass resolution to keep immigrant families together amid deportation fears
With the deportation of undocumented immigrants underway, Orange County leaders have passed a resolution to keep families together.
"There is so much fear and trauma in the community that these separations may occur," Orange County Supervisor Vince Sarmiento said.
The fear Sarmineto mentioned is evident in Carmen's family. The Costa Mesa mother, who is undocumented, said her son fears that his parents will be deported and he comes home to find them gone. Carmen said she has met with a lawyer to craft a plan if she is separated from her kids, who are U.S. citizens.
An estimated 25,000 children in Orange County are in households with mixed-immigrant status. The Board of Supervisors oversees the social services agencies that are responsible for the children if their parents are deported.
"We're speculating, but everything we hear from the federal government is that the numbers are going to start escalating and spiking," Sarmiento said. "So, we just want to make sure that we are prepared."
The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting children born in the U.S. who are at risk of being separated from their parents. The county would assume custody of the kids unless the families have a legal arrangement for a caregiver.
"Make sure we are clear in our messaging out as to what is a formal document that is required for families to avoid getting the kids in the system and we're talking about American citizen children.
Carmen signed a document to be sure her son would be placed with family if immigration officials took her away.
"A lot of families, they don't know they need to do these things," she said. "They're scared to ask."
