By Skyler Mitchell |Staff writer
With DACA scrapped and the political climate being tenser than ever, student organizations are trying to help those affected in the aftermath.For those following the national news the past month or have only heard about this now, here is a quick summary. President Donald Trump decided to scrap Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, otherwise known as DACA, which previously protected immigrants that immigrated illegally as children from deportation. His plan to replace DACA has been put under delays and debate, causing the immigrants known as ‘Dreamers’ vulnerable to deportation.This has caused a panic among those that currently do not have citizenship in the United States, especially those that live in Augusta. Certain organizations, such as the Jaguars For Justice, have risen to abate such fears.On Feb. 1, the Jags For Justice held a teach-in for these immigrants, hoping to teach everyone in attendance about the problem. They hoped to spread the word on how these immigrants could protect themselves from deportation and offer a bigger scope on illegal immigration.They first showed the documentary The Other Side of Immigration, directed by Roy Germane. The film showed the life of Mexicans on their side of the border, from their economy to the state of their government. It shows the lives of the men and women of Mexico and how they must send immigrants to America so that they can send money back home. It shows the reality of how immigration and how it affects the families that are separated because of it.What followed was a lecture by Dr. Angela Bratton, who specified the different forms of immigration and how it affects the countries involved. She talked about how the immigrants change the culture of the country they are immigrating and why they immigrate to a different country for opportunities they don’t have on their own. It also talks about how, especially in more unstable countries, immigration can hurt the home countries when more skilled professionals leave to get jobs they can’t get there.The Guest of Honor was Sujata Gupta Winfield, an immigration attorney, who advised the Dreamers on campus how to be prepared for a bond hearing if they are ever arrested for being an illegal immigrant. She fears that things are only going to get worse for immigrants from here on out.“Currently, every encounter (an immigrant has) with law enforcement is leading to deportation,” Winfield said. She went on to talk about how immigrants could prevent themselves from being deported and how they could protect themselves from a court of law.She suggests that before immigrants go to court, they must have any documentation that shows they have been living in the country for a while now. These can range from bank statements to school records, which will help in during the bond hearing. It is also imperative to get an immigration attorney and to get declarations from friends, family, and former employers that talk about your work and family history.If anyone has any more questions on how to protect themselves from possible deportation, then check the website www.yourimmigrationguide.com or email Winfield at sujatawinfield@yahoo.com. Contact Skyler Mitchell at skmitchell@augusta.edu.