Immigration advocates are shocked by detention of DACA recipients: “No legal basis” | U.S. immigration

Catalina “Xochitl” San Diego had crossed the safe route to El Paso Airport when two Border Patrol agents called her to inquire and drove her to an immigration detention center.

Nearly a month after her arrest, she and her family still have no idea why they were detained. Santiago is a beneficiary of the Delayed Child Arrival Action (DACA) program, which allows her to live and work legally in the United States.

“They have no legal basis for why they were detaining her, why they hugged her or why they were deported,” said her spouse Desiree Miller, who added that immigration officials have not provided any clear answers to her or her family.

Since her arrest on August 3, the San Diego case has shocked immigration advocates across the United States, indicating the growing vulnerability of thousands of young people who arrived in the United States as children and have received temporary protection through the Obama-era Dhaka program.

The government tries to divest despite no regulatory changes to the plan 525,000 DACA recipient, also known as the Dreamer. In July, DHS Assistant Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin falsely claimed that “DACA does not grant any form of legal status to the country” and urged recipients to deceive themselves.

Earlier this month, in a raid at his workplace, deaf DACA recipient Javier Diaz Santana was detained and officials confiscated the tools he relied on. Another DACA recipient, Jose Valdovinos, was detained outside the gas station while in the passenger seat of the vehicle his wife was driving.

“We’ve never seen it before,” said Santiago’s older brother José. “It’s very fast and very positive.”

On Wednesday, San Diego will hold a hearing before an immigration judge, which will determine whether she will be released home or in custody.

In the weeks since San Diego’s arrest, militants have organized vigils in El Paso, Texas. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Long Island, Boston; Tempe, Arizona and Seattle protest against the detention of 28-year-old immigration rights activist and community organizer.

Meanwhile, immigration officials told San Diego and her attorney that they wanted to expel her because she entered the United States illegally. “It doesn’t make sense,” Miller said. Santiago came to the United States with his family at the age of eight and stayed in the United States legally through the DACA program.

The Department of Homeland Security said she was arrested for allegations of “invasion, possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.” But San Diego was not convicted, Miller said.

“The government is deporting criminals and illegal foreigners from them.

Santiago had travelled to Austin to attend a meeting on family-run farms when he was arrested. Miller, who works with local community organizations, worked with Santiago, who once took flights earlier to attend the same conference.

Miller was shocked when San Diego sent them a shaky video of two Border Patrol personnel stopping at the airport, insisting she put the phone down and then joined them to answer questions about her employment documents.

Then, for the next few hours, Miller heard nothing. “I’m passing the message, call her.” San Diego had stopped at the airport before, so Miller hopes that silence shows that she’s boarded the plane.

A few hours later, San Diego managed to call friends at the detention center. Miller rushed home.

Over the next few weeks, San Diego told her spouse and family that she couldn’t fall asleep because the lights at the detention center were loud all night and the guards were very loud. She found it difficult to eat the food provided and to get medical care as needed.

Jose said he could hear the exhaustion of her voice. “But I know she has a strong spirit,” he said.

Miller said they couldn’t rest. “I really have a hard time enjoying it, sleeping and eating and doing anything comfortably here because she knows she can’t fall asleep,” they said. The couple got married in January – San Diego has been considering applying for a green card as soon as possible because Miller is a U.S. citizen.

“It’s like they keep threatening, they can come and take over the people you love.”