FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Venezuelan family in Southwest Florida is fighting to stay in the country they've called home for more than a decade.
They say these immigration law changes are impacting people who aren't criminals.
"It's uncertain times," says Silvia Marmo.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
Marmo is originally from Venezuela, but she came here 10 years ago for political asylum.
She says she is unafraid of Florida law enforcement agencies adopting I.C.E. Practices.
"In a way, I understand these laws," says Marmo. "I understand why people want to protect our country because there are good immigrants and bad immigrants, but sadly the bad ones are making more noise."
The city of Fort Myers did not adopt I.C.E. training for its police officers on Monday.
Marmo learned on February 5 that the Department of Homeland Security formally ended Venezuela's 2023 temporary protected status designation.
"We don't know what's gonna happen," says Marmo. "We are waiting for a decision on March 22 from the government who say if this Trump decision of revoking the temporary protection the status for Venezuela, if that's gonna actually go through."
Temporary Protected Status benefits allow people to work.
Marmo says she's worked at an advertising firm for a year, and a few other media companies before that. but has paid taxes for 10 years.
She says, it is not just her she has to think about, she has her husband and a 6-year-old daughter.
"I had people say to me like do you have someone that can speak English to me because of my accent or my pronunciation, so it's sad, and when they say something like go back to your country, like I've been here for 10 years I grew a family here I bought a house here," says Marmo. "I have my daughter here I work here. Can you tell me which one is my home now because I think it's here."
Because of that, she wants the city leaders who will make the decision about immigration enforcement to keep this in mind.
"We can ask if there's a way to let people know that we are not all bad and that there are good people and bad people in this world, no matter their country or citizenship," says Marmo
