As immigration continues to be one of the most politically divisive issues today, the need for education is more important than ever, said Di Morgan of the Manatee Unitarian Universalist Church.
On Sunday, the church hosted a public forum, "Immigration: Facts over Fear — The Truth, The Law & The Lies," in collaboration with the newly-formed non-profit Onward and Empowered Florida Inc.
"They saw gaps, and they see so much on social media that's not accurate about what's happening with the immigration crisis right now," Morgan said. "They are looking for ways to educate the public, educate people about what really is going on."
Context about immigration law
Speakers at the panel included immigration attorney CJ Czaia, associate immigration attorney Victoria Bruno, and human rights activist Rev. Charles McKenzie.
Immigration law is extremely complicated, Bruno said. Quoting one of her previous law professors, Bruno explained, "It's a very niche area of the law, second most challenging compared to the tax code."
"That just makes it a lot easier to manipulate and misinform what's going on," Bruno said.
Speaking to the audience, Bruno explained how immigration law occupies a unique space between criminal and civil law.
"People who come into the country without permission — we call them 'EWI,' entered without inspection — that's the biggest crime that is committed," Bruno said. "As far as immigration is concerned, it's a misdemeanor to enter the country without inspection."
Bruno pointed out that a vast majority of undocumented immigrants do come into the country with a valid visa, but overstay that visa, which is a civil violation.
"I think that reframes to people what it means to call someone illegal," Bruno said.
Czaia echoed that idea in his presentation.
"No one is illegal for being alive and trying to make a living," he said.
Czaia pointed out that immigrants facing deportation don't have a federal right to a government-appointed lawyer.
"If you commit a crime, you have a right to an attorney. You have a right to a public defender," he said, "It's not a crime to be here without papers."
Czaia also mentioned the backlog in asylum cases in the immigration system, which reached a record high last year.
Immigrants who cross the border with or without documentation can apply for asylum — an immigration officer or judge ultimately determines whether or not their claim is valid and can be granted asylum to stay in the U.S.
But that wait can take years or even more than a decade.
Recently, President Donald Trump's administration moved to fast-track cases in immigration court by allowing judges to drop "legally deficient asylum cases without a hearing."
The directive comes after the administration laid off over 100 judges, lawyers and interpreters.
Experts say fast-tracking the process can hurt many immigrants who lack legal aid and aren't able to defend their own cases properly.
"The only way Trump is going to get what he's saying — a million people deported — is to break down due process, our way of courts and everything else," Czaia said.
Reforming the immigration system
He acknowledged the overwhelmed system needs reform — he knows clients and friends who have been waiting in the U.S. for an answer on their asylum claim for more than 10 years.
A bipartisan immigration reform bill introduced during the last year of former President Joe Biden's term would have addressed some of those issues, Czaia said. That bill, however, lost Republican lawmakers' support after objections from Trump, who was then running for his second term against Biden.
"This president wants chaotic and theatrics over policy that works," Czaia said.
Bruno also has clients who have been in the U.S. for years through Temporary Protected Status. Yet, TPS does not offer a direct pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.
Some TPS recipients have been able to apply for a green card through their U.S. citizen spouse or children. Others also file asylum claims.
But not everyone has those options. Some have no choice but to face leaving the country after being allowed to stay for decades.
"The idea behind [TPS] is that once the country conditions are improved, you can go back home. Idealistically, if we lived in a perfect world, that'd be great. Of course, everybody wants to go back home, but we don't live in a perfect world," Bruno said.
"Terrible country conditions continue for very long periods of time," she said.
But becoming a citizen — a permanent resident — "it's just not that simple anymore."
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