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(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- On May 19, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution authored by Commissioner Javier D. Souto urging the U.S. Congress and President Obama’s administration to amend immigration laws and policies to address U.S. children whose parents have been deported. The legislation, which was co-prime sponsored by Commissioner Souto and Vice Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, followed a citizen’s presentation on May 5 by Nora Sandigo, founder and executive director of American Fraternity, an organization that provides social services to immigrant families. Sandigo explained the plight of more than 400 children she represents who are orphaned when their parents are deported due to immigration policies; she is their legal guardian.
“This situation leads not only to instability in children’s lives, but to substantial financial, emotional, and psychological problems for hundreds of children in our community who are U.S. citizens but who become orphans when their parents are deported,” exclaimed Commissioner Souto. “At this time the county is the one absorbing the cost of this national immigration policy.”
During the citizen’s presentation, Commissioner Souto brought a group of children to explain their plight publicly. One child testified about losing everything and having to live in a two-room home with nine people making it hard to concentrate in school and sleep at night. Meanwhile, another testified that with her mother and baby brother, she had to live in a home with no electricity after her father was deported.
Commissioner Diaz, who also has a resolution pending that would allow County employees to donate the value of their annual leave to American Fraternity, has been working in his district to garner support for the organization as well. “How is it right to have minor children whose parents are deported essentially to fend for themselves? There has to be some kind of change in our country’s immigration policies when it comes to situations like those of the children represented by American Fraternity so families can stay together.”
The resolution urges U.S. Congress and the State of Florida to provide funding for the health, education, housing, nutrition and general welfare of such children. It also asks for the Mayor to research and find a source of funding for these 400 children at the federal, state, or local level.
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