SWFL illegal immigrants fear deportation under Trump

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GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. President Trump has implemented stricter enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, causing many illegal immigrants in Southwest Florida to live in fear.

Although Eva Ramirez has been living in the U.S. since she was 5 years old, she’s concerned that she or one of her family members will be deported.

“For me to think that I can get deported and leave my son … I can’t imagine that,” she said, adding that she believes all undocumented immigrants are targets.

The Department of Homeland Security released memos Tuesday expanding the number of people considered a deportation priority, including any illegal immigrant who’s convicted, charged or even suspected of a crime.

The crime could be as simple as a traffic offense.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is one of only two agencies in Florida that partners with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to check people’s immigration status.

WINK News reporter Kelsey Kushner spoke with Mitchell Cohen, a Fort Myers-based immigration attorney, about what happens to children if their parents get deported:

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