He who has knowledge has power. That is the premise of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which decided to strengthen information channels so that migrants know their rights, in the midst of the enactment, from July 2023, of Law SB 1718 in Florida.

The case of a Mexican national who may be deported has alerted immigrants in Florida, United States.

The Mexican was arrested for a traffic violation and is now charged with human trafficking for transporting undocumented immigrants in his car, Telemundo reports.

“Knowledge is our greatest day-to-day defense to protect families and individuals from being targeted by racial policies,” said Domingo García, president of LULAC, in the El Diario NY publication.

What is Florida law SB1718? Here are the penalties the law provides for undocumented migrants in the United States

What should you do if you are arrested in Florida?

In July, organizations and foundations defending the rights of migrants and assisting undocumented migrants through Univisión, and reviewed by El Universo, offered several recommendations in case of arrest.

Activist Mariana Blanca listed tips in case an agent stops you in Florida because you have these kinds of “invalid” licenses, that is, from Connecticut, Vermont, Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island.

In Florida, what happens to the driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in at least five states?

Migrant Precautions Proposed by the League of United Latin American Citizens

Seek legal advice and avoid falling into the hands of scammers. Photo: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

However, it is the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) itself that, El Comercio points out, is making offers five helpful tips:

1. Prepare your emergency plan. The first thing you should do is appoint a person (a family member, church leader, friend, neighbor or someone you trust) to implement an emergency plan in case of detention or deportation.

2. Watch out for childcare and get a power of attorney. To avoid setbacks, undocumented immigrants must appoint a person to pick up their children and children from school and take care of them. This requires a power of attorney authorizing someone to take care of them while the contingency plan is running.

3. Prevent fraud and hire a lawyer. It is necessary and paramount that families hire a certified immigration lawyer to provide legal assistance to them before any eventuality.

4. Don’t go around anymore, take the documents of the car with you. Families must have all their car documents in order. “This dual listing allows them to recover or sell the impounded vehicle to cover legal costs, if necessary,” LULAC specifies.

5. The importance of a power of attorney for financial management. In the event that an account owner is apprehended, it is important that he or she gives a financial power of attorney to someone he trusts to handle all of his accounts and outstanding payments.

(JO)