ICE raids are scheduled to take place in major cities across the country this weekend, including Miami, but a local immigration activist says the fear of getting taken into custody is a daily occurrence in South Florida.
"They are talking about Sunday, but we don't need to wait until Sunday, they are already taking into custody the immigrants," said Nora Sandigo.
Nora Sandigo of the Nora Sandigo Children Foundation says she knows of five men taken into custody by federal agents in the Homestead area Friday. At least one of the men, she says, was taken into custody at home, and another was taken into custody while standing outside the Homestead Home Depot store looking for construction work.
NBC 6 spoke exclusively with the man's wife who said she's sad and worried about what will happen next. Her husband moved to the Homestead area 16 years ago after moving from Guatemala. They have five children ranging in age from 2 to 18 years old.
"It's totally unfair," said Sandigo. "He's the provider of this family, he's a good person, he has no problem with the law, the only problem is he doesn't have the papers."
Sandigo's a surrogate mother of sorts. She has power of attorney for more than 1,500 children. It allows her and her nonprofit to care for them and fight on their behalf.
"If we have power of attorney, we will try our best to protect them and to also protect the father," said Sandigo.
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She said it helps prevent children from ending up in the foster care system.
It's a fight she's been waging for more than a decade.
"The deportation is not only now or with this administration, the deportation has been always," she said.
NBC 6 does not know if Friday's events are connected with the federal raids that are scheduled to take place.
Federal and state officials haven't released any information.
