Florida Catholic | Workshop Offers Advice To Immigrants

Workshop offers advice to immigrants

Misinformation makes difficult process harder.

BOB REDDY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC VENICE BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 07.04.08

LEHIGH ACRES | Immigration issues are being debated by Congress, in the presidential primaries and by the people throughout the country. A common image of this debate is economically desperate people secretly crossing the border from Mexico and men with guns trying to stop them.

But immigration issues are bigger than that, with people who entered the country openly and from all over the world also often ensnared in a convoluted system. As the debate over reform drags on and the answers to solving the issues grow more complicated by the day, many people’s lives hang in the balance. They risk deportation and the breaking up of their families.

In response to a growing need for outreach, Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice Inc. in Lee County teamed up with the Lee County Public Library system to hold a series of workshops to inform immigrants of their rights. The workshops are intended to provide current and accurate information to people who may not otherwise feel safe to talk.

Catholic Charities immigration attorney Samson Koyona told one group in early June that it is likely that everything they have learned about their immigration status is probably not true or is at least not current. The lives of immigrants are often ruled by rumors, false hope, fear and a misunderstanding of the convoluted laws, Koyona said.

“I am here to relieve your concerns about your status,” he told about 20 people from countries including Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. He added, though, that establishing and maintaining legal status “is a long and cumbersome process. Unfortunately, the approval process for documents can vary from three months to 20 years.”

He warned of unscrupulous attorneys who prey on people in immigration trouble and will often take a huge fee for cases they know have little chance of success. A typical fine for clearing up immigration troubles and getting a green card denoting permanent residency or a work visa is $1,000, he said. Some immigrants have been known to pay 10 times that much for nothing.

Alejandra Toledo, a Catholic Charities caseworker, translated for Koyona as one person after another explained their frustration with the cumbersome legal process.

One man from Guatemala said he applied for a visa more than a dozen years ago but never received any paperwork saying whether he was approved. Koyona advised him that paying a fine and getting new paperwork filed as soon as possible will mean he might get a visa in six months to a year, but only if he is in good moral standing.

“Good moral standing is very important and can often be a key part to whether or not you can stay in this country,” Koyona said. “Pay your taxes, pay your bills, stay out of trouble, and go to church and be a good person.”

Whether people are seeking green cards, work visas, political asylum or citizenship, the process can vary on many factors. It can depend on what country a person is originally from, when they came to the United States, what their status was when they arrived, what their current status is and whether they are in good moral standing.

One immigrant from Mexico who overstayed his visas was told his status is precarious at best. Unfortunately, people from Mexico have a 20-year wait to become citizens, and that is only if they are here legally.

“Sometimes we can’t help,” Toledo said. “We often hear about cases like these in our office. People come in hoping there is a quick answer to their problems, but often it is not so simple. We work with them to get their paperwork and status clear. Once that is established, only then can we can work on getting people to stay. It is all about education and easing their fears.”

The last clinic in Lee County is planned for Thursday, Sept. 11, 6 p.m., at the Cape Coral Library, 921 S.W. 39th Terrace. For more information about this clinic, contact Kathleen Chumley at 239-540-6308. People interested in learning more about Catholic Charities immigration programs can call the offices in Arcadia, 863-494-1068; Bradenton, 941-714-7829; Fort Myers, 239-334-2234; and Immokalee, 239-657-6242; or visit the Catholic Charities Web site at www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.

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