Sacramento Families Torn Apart By Immigration Laws Praise President Obama's Decision
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — President Barack Obama's speech on immigration reform was a hit at a watch party in Sacramento full of families who have been torn apart under current immigration laws.
"I lived with a fear every single day as an immigrant of 'What would happen to me? What if I got deported? What if I were separated from my children and sent back to Mexico?'" Selena Garcia said through a translator.
She has two children who are U.S. citizens, but because she isn't, she hasn't been able to see her 82-year-old mother back in Mexico since she came to the United States 25 years ago.
"You have to weigh the two against each other," she said. "What do you want more? A better life for your children, or to be with your mother? And its a terrible choice to have to make."
Immigration attorney Jesse Atwal says the president's plan is not a free pass for all immigrants living in the United States.
"Any serious misdemeanors or felonies most likely won't qualify," he said. "Whether you need to prove substantial ties such as children and residency, that will probably be part of the process."
It's a process that could be complicated. But for everyone in this room, the president's speech gives them a sense of relief.
