Deborah Koff Ross: “in November, my home State of North Carolina watched in horror as Federal immigration agents descended on our State and…”

“in November, my home State of North Carolina watched in horror as Federal immigration agents descended on our State and terrorized our communities. During these raids, my constituent Fatima Velasquez-Antonio, was detained. She has work authorization, no criminal record, and is allowed to legally remain in this country while her asylum case is pending. Yet despite all of this, she was taken into custody and ripped away from her family for weeks. Thankfully, after an outpouring of public anger and criticism, the Trump administration finally released Fatima a few days before Christmas. Fatima is one of countless hardworking immigrants who have been unlawfully or unjustly detained across the country. People like Fatima with deep ties to our community are being targeted instead of a focus on apprehending violent criminals. We cannot allow the Trump administration to continue violating the rights that all individuals in this country are guaranteed.”