TULSA, Okla — Tulsans have been bringing attention to misinformation about deportation and immigration in Tulsa lately.
2 News' Isabel Flores spoke to Lorena Salas, the CEO of Angelica’s Connections.
Part of her job is to counsel kids and their families.
She said there is a lot of anxiety amidst all of the misinformation families have been hearing.
“It’s so sad, because you’re not just thinking in the adult, you’re thinking of the child- and you’re thinking of mental health," she said. “They don’t understand exactly what’s going on because every day, they’re hearing something different and they don’t know how to treat or explain that to their child. The main point is they say ‘we’re going through this,’ but in reality, they don’t know what’s going on.”
Vic Regalado has been the Sheriff of Tulsa for more than 8 years.
He said the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has been forthcoming with people about not focusing on immigration status.
“If we start doing that, then typically what we see happen is that our immigrant communities won't call the police because the fear that they or their family or their friends might be apprehended and deported," he said. "Then what we see is crime rise within those communities.”
The Sheriff’s Office is involved in a 287-G program with ICE.
It comes into play when an immigrant is arrested and is found out to have illegally entered the country.
“When that individual is finished with the state charges that they were originally arrested for, then they cannot bond out," he said. "They cannot leave. They're detained to face immigration court or deportation.”
Lorena Salas everything boils down to knowledge, and that's what will help people stay calm during this time.
“For them to have peace, it’s everything in education," she said. "Education is key.”
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