FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Undocumented immigrants in Middle Tennessee are rushing to prepare legal documents for their children as fear spreads following recent ICE operations that arrested nearly 200 people in Nashville and surrounding areas.
Many parents are notarizing power of attorney documents to ensure their children will be cared for if they are detained or deported.
"This is a letter of power of attorney for care of a minor child," reads one document being prepared by families. "Is sufficient to authorize enrollment of a minor in school and to authorize medical treatment."
A single mother, who asked to be identified only as Andrea to protect her identity, described the anxiety of potentially being separated from her children. "It was the fear that I would be gone and there would be no one to care for my kids," she said.
Andrea recalled having to sit down with her 13-year-old son to explain that one day she might not come home. "He hugged me and said, 'Mom, I am going to cry a lot.' I broke down as a mom because you don't know what to do. I can't stay home because it's just me," she said.
Andrea and her two sons arrived in the US with a visa eight years ago. She said safety concerns prevented her from returning to her home country, and she decided to stay to provide better opportunities for her children as a single mother.
Overstaying a visa is not considered a criminal offense, but is a civil violation of U.S. immigration law. "Going back to my country isn't an option, especially because of my children," she said.
Andrea sought help from Pastor Luis Sura to complete the power of attorney paperwork. Through his nonprofit Better Options TN, Sura has assisted more than 20 families since the raids. "They're afraid, they're crying, they don't know what to do," Sura said.
As an immigrant from Mexico himself, Sura understands their situation but notes his own path to legal status came through the most recent immigration reform signed during the Reagan administration in 1986. "That's why I'm here, because of the amnesty," he said.
Sura believes current immigration policies offer few options for families like Andrea's. "These people will be here for 20 years. They cannot do it the right way, because there is no other way," Sura said.
The uncertainty has changed how Andrea and her children say goodbye each day. "So, every time we leave, we hug each other and try to make it very special because there really might not be another time," she said.
Click here to learn more about Better Options TN and power of attorney forms.
The Hispanic Foundation is also hosting a power of attorney clinic on June 1, 2025. For more information, send an email to vgentry@immigrationgrp.com
Andrea's quotes have been translated from Spanish to English by bilingual reporter Patsy Montesinos.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
