Face Of Nation International : When undocumented immigrants call into the Florida Immigrant Coalition‘s telephone hotline these days, Laura Munoz is struggling to figure out what to tell them.
First, Munoz reads them the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on how to avoid contracting the coronavirus, citing recommendations to self-isolate and avoid crowds of 10 people or more. But then, Munoz has to tell them that it’s critically important for them to show up in person for their check-ins at the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, where dozens of people cram into lines each morning to enter the building.
“We have people saying, ‘I have lung problems, but I can’t be separated from my family so I have to go to my appointment,'” Munoz said. “They are dealing with this horrible contradiction between these federal agencies. That’s not good for them, for immigrant communities, or the public health of our community.”
