HOUSTON – Immigration Rights hotline has been flooded with phone calls since ICE raids began Sunday.
Andrea Guttin, with Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said the organization has extended the Immigration Rights hotline into the weekend. She said the call volume was anticipated to be high following deportation orders carried out Sunday in 10 cities, including Houston.
Guttin said most callers inquired about the difference between an administrative warrant and a warrant signed by a judge. She said undocumented immigrants in Houston don't have as many resources as other cities due to lack of local funding.
“A lot of the other 10 cities that were the subject of potential raids today have locally supported public funds for deportation defense. Houston doesn’t. But we are 25% foreign-born and have 10% of the detained population here in Houston. Last year alone, we deported 16,000 people,” Guttin said.