Rights and responsibilities of the undocumented?

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Recent news headlines may be cause for concern for undocumented immigrants and their advocates in the Bay Area.

Following the case concerning the deportation of an Australian woman and her 13-year-old son in San Francisco, staff attorney with the Asian Law Caucus Angela Chan said, “I hope this is not the beginning of a trend.” And with a new jail program starting in Sonoma County this week -- whereby anyone booked into County Jail will automatically have their immigration staus checked -- this latest case may set precedent for the future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement ended up extending the deportation date for Tracey Washington and her son until May 4th. This delay will give them enough time to try and get their pending green card application approved. If so, the family would be able to live together permanently.

Tax season approaches and many undocumented immigrants are eager to pay their taxes, that's so that they can have a record of following the law if immigration reform comes to fruition.  There are some passionate comments posted after the Mission Local article discussing this issue -- people are very clearly divided on whether paying taxes makes a difference at all.

Have you heard or experienced any of the issues raised above?  Tell us in an email at news@kalw.org, or give us a call -- (415) 264-7106, and leave us a message with your story.