Latino Center of the Midlands Denounces Recent ICE Raids on Central American Immigrants

Latino Center of the Midlands has joined other Nebraska-based groups to send a message to President Obama’s administration denouncing the recent raids on Central American immigrants.  Latino Center of the Midlands staff and clients joined others in a peaceful demonstration outside the UNO Baxter Arena where President Obama spoke on January 13th.

While Nebraska has not recently seen widespread ICE raids in the Omaha-metro area, ICE has started raiding homes in other states, targeting recently arrived immigrants from countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.  El Salvador’s murder rate is the highest in the world, and the 2015 death toll in the region of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala was higher than all but three zones of ongoing armed conflict: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

While the Department of Homeland Security Secretary claims the raids are focusing on individuals with orders of deportation, the nation’s highest immigration court has delayed deportations for many of the initial cases, indicating that public concerns over a lack of due process and lack of legal representation may be well founded.

Latino Center of the Midlands coordinates legal and immigration consultation services and provides U.S. citizenship tutorials to a largely Spanish-speaking immigrant community.  Services provide individuals and families with the assistance they need to begin the process of naturalization.  For more information, contact the Latino Center of the Midlands at (402) 733-2720 or e-mail jgarza@latinocenterofthemidlands.org.