TAMPA, Fla. — A local immigration law firm has created an emergency toolkit to help families be prepared in the event that they, or someone they know is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
What You Need To Know
The plan includes steps like knowing your immigration rights, filing a power of attorney and more
For people like Sabrina Correa, it’s a tool that is helping provide peace of mind
Sabrina Correa immigrated from Venezuela two years ago, and is in the country on a pending asylum case.
Her daily checklist doesn’t involve groceries or household tasks — it’s an emergency plan for her family’s future.
“I have a child who is autistic and it would be an emotional crash for him to be without his mother,” she said.
She’s taken steps to protect her family, including setting up a power of attorney, in case she or her husband is detained.
“For all these countries it’s been a legal pathway, but under this administration that could change,” Correa said.
She’s taking these steps with the help of a free tool called the Plan de Emergencia, or Emergency Plan.
The toolkit was created by Mobility Immigration Law Firm after attorneys there said they noticed an increase in immigration enforcement activity.
“We started seeing an uptick in the number of people being detained and ICE activity in Florida,” said attorney William Gearhart.
Attorneys say the toolkit is designed to help families prepare for the unknown and make critical decisions before a crisis happens.
The eight-step plan includes:
Learning about your immigration options
Creating a family emergency plan to-do list
Developing a childcare plan
Knowing your rights
What to do if detained
Organizing important contact information
Establishing limited power of attorney
And temporary power of attorney
“It is important that we all take a look at this emergency plan and prepare for the worst, but expect the best,” said Mobility Immigration Law Firm manager Natalia Arellano.
To reach more people, the law firm is partnering with community organizations like Enterprising Latinas, which helps connect families with information and resources.
“We are not a legal organization, but we see the need that they need to know different steps, or different topics about legal services and about immigration,” said Enterprising Latinas manager Georgina Romero.
For Correa, this plan is about more than paperwork — it’s about peace of mind for her family as she navigates her asylum case.
“The best thing we can do is be prepared physiologically, spiritually, and with our documents in hand,” she said. “Like how we prepare for a hurricane.”
Law firm officials say the emergency toolkit is free and available to any family that needs it. The organization has also created a free podcast that walks families through each stage of the process.