Some Concerned About Deportation Are Changing How They Live

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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Mario has lived with his family illegally in the Dallas area for 20 years. "Everybody is afraid," he said.

Mario says the fear of deportation that has gripped him, his family, and others has forced them to be extra careful so they don't attract the police. "Everybody is making sure that their cars don't have an expired sticker and that in the car, every single light works."

CBS 11 News with him through an interpreter and on the condition we would hide his identity.
Mario says he came here on a tourist visa, then brought his wife and family, and never left.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found there are 475,000 illegal immigrants living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. There are nearly 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

Mario says he's very concerned about President Donald Trump's new border enforcement priorities announced Tuesday. They expand the scope of illegal immigrants who would be eligible for deportation.

Sarah Saldana just returned to Dallas after serving as the Director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE under President Obama, and noted the differences in policy by the two Presidents. "There is definitely a change," she said.

President Trump's new policies target anyone convicted of or charged with a crime, including fraud. The President also wants to target anyone who poses a threat to public safety and national security. Those who are caught violating immigration law are also able to be deported.

Under the new guidelines, the President wants to expand the expedited removal of those who are here illegally. Saldana says, "That is breathtaking in its scope."

While she was in charge of ICE, their priority was to target terrorists, gang members, violent criminals, and those who snuck into the country after January 1, 2014. "We reduced it down to a card of three levels of priorities. That list no longer exists."

Mario says the rumors of immigrations raids have kept him, his family, and others on edge.
Recently, ICE arrested nearly 700 illegal immigrants across the nation.

Saldana insists the arrests are not part of spontaneous raids. "Raids make it sound like we're going around street corners to pick people up. These were targeted enforcement actions, they take a long time to plan."

She says she both sides of the illegal immigration debate have stoked fears in the community. "I'm so concerned about the climate of fear there is in the immigrant community. These rumors take a life of their own, so my hope is that both sides take a breath and pause. Wouldn't it be great if we could get people together to talk about where we end up?"

Saldana says the new administration shouldn't instill fear into the immigrant community.

The President is sticking with President Obama's policy to shield from deportation those who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents when they were children, also referred to as "dreamers".

President Trump also wants to expand the number of detention facilities along the southern border and hire 10,000 ICE agents and 5,000 border patrol agents.

Saldana says it could take years to hire more agents because both agencies will be competing for the same applicants and they must meet high standards. "You've got to find people who can pass the security background which is tough. Now that you found that person, they have to be competent, so you have to pass some interviews and tests."

There are 6,000 ICE agents now, and Saldana says it was difficult to keep up with attrition.
She says Congress will need to approve billions of more dollars to implement President Trump's policies.

As for Mario, he is in construction here, but says he left a steady job in Mexico because of safety concerns. "Drug cartels are still very prominent and active in Mexico. It's just not a safe place to go."

While Mario says he has no plans to leave the U.S., he, his wife, and two children have already discussed where they would go if they were deported.

When asked what he says to people who tell him he came to the U.S. illegally and must live with the consequences, he says, "Obviously, it's always better to do things the right way. But situations will take you to places or do things you really never thought you would have to."
Mario says he owns a house and has always paid his property and federal income taxes. "Most of the people here, we are working. We are contributing to this country and most of us are not bad people."

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