Pastors of Latino congregations are talking about how they can most effectively advocate for comprehensive immigration reform now that a new administration is in power in Washington.
The issue is personal and common for them:
Eric Tabora burst into tears as he remembered his wife being hauled away by federal immigration officials.
The 33-year-old independent contractor said his wife was arrested when they returned to their home in Powder Springs Wednesday morning after driving their 11- and 7-year-old sons, both U.S. citizens, to school.
Now it could be months or years before the boys see their mother again. She is being deported to Honduras for overstaying her visa.
“If she leaves, what are we going to do?” Tabora said, hunching over as he cried.
Pastors in the Latino community say stories of families torn apart by deportation are all too familiar among members of their church congregations. The Rev. Miguel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders estimates 38 percent of those church members are undocumented.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has more of this story here.