A northwest Iowa organization is helping immigrants make legal preparations as the new administration takes office, since President-elect Donald Trump promised to order mass deportations after he’s sworn in.
Yareli Flores is the office manager of the Mary T. Treglia House in Sioux City, which has been busy assisting immigrants without legal status.
“Anything from getting their green card, applying for citizenship, applying for work permits, asylum, TPS,” Flores says. “They are very persistent on what can be done for them and what are their options. They’re scared of what’s to come.”
The American Immigration Council estimates there are more than 52,000 immigrants without legal status living in Iowa. Flores says the nonprofit has been offering a lot of advice lately on how to stay in the country legally.
“There has been an uptick in folks visiting our site, worried about what might happen. They want to take action and prepare themselves as best they can.”
Due to privacy and safety concerns, the nonprofit will not disclose how many people without legal status they are helping.
Flores says she came illegally to the United States at the age of two and returned to Mexico after high school for 18 months to acquire her green card. She’s now a U.S. citizen.
(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)