The uncertainty of what comes next was felt throughout a makeshift meeting room in San Diego.
Just days after President Trump issued sweeping executive orders targeting immigration and the southern border, stories are surfacing of the impacts to local migrants.
Stories like one of a 20-year resident of San Diego all of a sudden facing expedited deportation.
“I get information from the wife that yes, they are still processing him and they are holding him in Otay Mesa detention center. I was able to confirm that and they said, OK, it's just probably next week we will have a schedule of the hearing. And I was surprised that, you know, a few days later he told me, oh, he's already in Tijuana. So I said ‘how could that be?’ That's a violation of immigration law because you know he should not be subjected to expedited removal if he has lived here for 20 years. He has to go through a process of deportation or removal proceedings,’ said Ian Seruelo, an immigration lawyer and Chairperson of the San Diego Immigration Rights Consortium.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta chose San Diego as the last stop in his series of immigration rights presentations- explaining the legal choices people have.
“I know there's a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety and confusion,” said Attorney General Bonta.
A big question brought up at the meeting was where immigrants can go without the threat of being deported.
According to Attorney General Rob Bonta: Schools, churches, and even hospitals aren’t safe.
“When they dropped off at school, they're wondering if they're gonna see their parents again.
Or when someone has to make a decision, do I get healthcare that I need, or do I risk seeing ICE in the hospital?” said Attorney General Bonta.
Seruelo says its a fine line between telling his clients to live their lives like normal, and to be careful.
“While I don't want them to get arrested, I also don't want them to just stay at home and live in fear,” said Seruelo.
The guidelines pushed by Bonta for immigration rights included the right to an attorney, emergency medical care, and free public education.
For a longer list of the Attorney General’s guidelines, head to this website.
