LOS ANGELES — For Ely, who doesn’t want to use her real name out of fear for her safety, coming to the U.S. in 2019 was a major challenge.
She came from El Salvador and was originally granted withholding of removal seven years ago.
Ely says she has done everything legally since then. She has been working as a nanny, says she doesn’t have a criminal record, or even a speeding ticket, and had been checking in with her regular immigration appointments in downtown Los Angeles.
But in March, Ely was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and taken into custody. She was sent to the Adelanto Detention Facility and didn’t know what would come next.
Ely’s loved ones were able to help her get legal representation through the Immigrants Defenders Law Center, and with help from her lawyer, she was set free.
The Immigrants Defenders Law Center is partially funded through RepresentLA, which is a public-private partnership with the county, the city, the California Community Foundation and the Weingart Foundation.
RepresentLA has seen dwindling funding from the city of LA in recent issues, as budget constraints have caused cutbacks.
With an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement around SoCal since last year, advocates are hoping the city can do more to help locals who are facing deportation.