Local organization helping legal immigrants sort out fact from fiction with temporary travel ban

Wednesday, February 1, 2017
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As families overseas find themselves blocked from their American destinations because of their roots in seven of the many majority Muslim countries. Families here in the Central Valley are lining up to figure out if they might find a shoe on the same foot.

The waiting room at Central California Legal Services is filling up fast and the phones are much busier in the last couple weeks.

"If they leave the country, will they be able to get back? That's the biggest question," said Teshara Kuspa, CCLS.

The answer isn't very complicated right now. Most of the requests are coming from Latin American families with legal documentation. President Trump has done nothing to limit their border movements, but rumors of change are traveling fast.

"There's a huge amount of fear out there among the immigrant community who are lawful, permanent, residents who've already been vetted before they were able to immigrate," said Janie Munoz-Tafoya, CCLS.

CCLS partners with several organizations to make sure legal immigrants know their rights and the truth about the laws as they stand now. And they are finding some silver lining in the dark cloud many people see.

"Some of the changes have pushed them to really consider citizenship as the best option for themselves and their families," said Frank Huerta, CCLS.

CCLS pre-screens people who want to become citizens and they make sure immigrants understand the benefits.

"As a U.S. citizen you're going to have protection to stay here as long as you want or live in another country while you still remain a U.S. citizen," said Tafoya.

Dual citizenship is even allowed with many Latin American countries. It gets a lot more complicated with Middle Eastern roots and CCLS will monitor any changes to the immigration law.

If you need legal advice regarding the President's travel ban or immigration policy and would like to contact Central California Legal Services click here.
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