A man and his son have been placed in immigration detention

Many Louisiana households include members who emigrated to the United States from other countries. Some, in particular, are currently facing immigration detention problems regarding legal status issues or other matters. A father and son in another state are trying to resolve similar problems.

The father is a 47-year-old man who was apparently convicted of entering the U.S. under false pretenses some years ago. In recent months, he sought sanctuary from a local church and was residing in the basement of the church building. The man’s wife is reportedly quite ill and in need of heart surgery.

The man recently showed up for a biometrics appointment to which immigration officials had apparently summoned him. However, instead of simply navigating the process as they had told him he was required to do in order to obtain a legal status adjustment, the man found himself surrounded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who placed him under arrest. The man’s 19-year-old son apparently tried to keep the officers from forcing his father into the back of a van and was subsequently arrested and charged with assaulting a government official.

Both men were placed in immigration detention. Police took 20 other people into custody who were there to offer support to the father and son. Police say they warned the immigrant advocates to back off or face arrest, and when they supposedly refused to obey the warning, they were taken into custody. Any Louisiana resident facing similar immigration problems may seek legal support.