Immigration detention situation makes national headlines

Louisiana readers may be surprised to learn that immigration officers do not need warrants to board buses at Greyhound stations to search vehicle compartments or the people on board. This type of situation happens all the time. In fact, a recent incident led to the arrest of a business owner and former fire fighter. The man also happens to be an undocumented immigrant, and he now sits in an immigration detention facility.

The man in question was setting out on a trip to visit his friend when immigration officials boarded his bus, and things went down hill from there. Before he knew what was happening, he was detained and at immediate risk for deportation. The 33-year-old has been living and working in the United States for 14 years.

The man came here from Trinidad on a crewman’s visa. The problem seems to be that his work visa expired. This is not all that uncommon of an issue; sometimes, clerical errors or other explainable delays are later found to be the causes of the problems.

In the meantime, this long-time business owner and former volunteer fire fighter is sitting in an immigration detention facility, worried that he will now be forced to leave the United States and give up everything he has worked so hard to achieve for more than a decade. A Facebook page dedicated to his plight has received an outpouring of support from concerned citizens. Many Louisiana immigrants are currently facing similar legal challenges, all of whom can seek guidance and gain assistance by arranging meetings with experienced immigration law attorneys.

Source: local10.com, “Second undocumented immigrant detained at Fort Lauderdale Greyhound station“, Laybron Livingston, Feb. 2, 2018