Nora Sandigo Becomes Lifeline for Immigrant Parents Facing Deportation Fears

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Key Takeaways

Nora Sandigo has signed guardianship papers for over 2,000 immigrant children to prevent family separation amid deportation fears.
Guardianship papers allow children to stay with trusted adults but don’t grant immigration benefits or permanent residency rights.
No specific legislation addresses guardianship for deported immigrants’ children; systemic solutions remain urgently needed as of February 2025.

In Florida 🇺🇸, a growing number of immigrant families are turning to Nora Sandigo, a local activist, as a measure of last resort to protect their children from family separation amid fears of deportation. Over the years, Sandigo has taken on the extraordinary responsibility of signing guardianship papers for more than 2,000 children of immigrant parents, reflecting the urgent and grave decisions these families face.

Nora Sandigo’s journey is deeply personal. She fled Nicaragua 🇳🇮 at the age of 16, escaping political unrest, and became a U.S. citizen. Her experiences have profoundly shaped her dedication to helping families in her community. Sandigo’s role as a guardian started around 15 years ago and has grown as immigration enforcement activities have intensified. Her efforts have become a beacon of hope for many parents, who are trying to do everything possible to ensure their children’s safety in case they are detained or deported. For instance, the guardianship papers Sandigo signs allow children to stay in the U.S. under the care of a trusted adult instead of being placed in foster care or sent back to their parents’ home countries.

Nora Sandigo Becomes Lifeline for Immigrant Parents Facing Deportation Fears

One recent example involves Mariana, a 40-year-old mother from Honduras 🇭🇳. Mariana, who has three children, made the painful but protective decision to sign a power of attorney giving Sandigo legal guardianship over her youngest child. Speaking about her fears, Mariana explained, “I don’t want my children to be taken away from me. If something happens to me, I want them with me.” Another mother, Albertina from Mexico 🇲🇽, shared a similar sentiment. Albertina, who has six children, including a 2-month-old baby, sought Sandigo’s guardianship for her two oldest daughters, aged 15 and 17. The younger children, she decided, would return to Mexico if she were deported. Albertina described her fears, saying, “I am very afraid that they will grab me on the road and take me away. What’s going to happen to them?”

These are not isolated stories. They reflect the moral and logistical dilemmas immigrant families face. Parents are forced to weigh giving legal authority to someone else over their children against the terrifying possibility of sudden deportation. Guardianship papers become, for many, the closest thing to a safety net.

The legal framework surrounding these arrangements gives immigrant parents a way to create a plan for their children’s care. Guardianship papers establish a legal connection between the child and their designated guardian. However, such papers cannot avoid every challenge. For instance, they don’t grant immigration benefits or permanent residency to the child or the guardian. This limitation leaves many unresolved issues for families.

The work Sandigo does goes far beyond paperwork. Over the years, she has temporarily housed 22 children of deported parents. Her approach is one rooted in empathy. A committed Catholic, Sandigo views her work as a spiritual duty, which she feels called upon to fulfill. Stories like hers provide a glimpse into the grassroots efforts that aim to support marginalized families, but they also underscore the heavy burden placed on individuals in the absence of broader systemic solutions.

The tension between immigration enforcement policies and child welfare continues to reverberate across the country. Some estimates illuminate the scope of these issues. A study in 2011 found that about 5,000 children in foster care nationwide had parents who had been detained or deported. This type of separation disrupts families in ways that can have long-term impacts on children. For immigrant parents, the decision to designate legal guardians in advance is often framed as an act of last resort meant to shield their children from such traumatic outcomes.

For some children, the situation becomes even more precarious when they are classified as “unaccompanied minors.” If their parents are detained or deported without securing alternate arrangements, children may enter the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR’s role is to place these children with sponsors, such as relatives or trusted adults, after performing background checks. Even with these safeguards, the process can leave children in limbo, facing uncertain futures.

Legally, the issue is far from straightforward. U.S. laws recognize that parents, regardless of immigration status, have a constitutional right to custody of their children unless they are deemed unfit. However, deportation complicates the practical ability of parents to exercise these rights. Even seemingly simple acts, like participating in custody hearings, become near impossible when parents are removed from the United States.

The fear surrounding family separation is not unfounded. While the data provided does not specify the exact number of families impacted statewide or nationally, the experiences of parents like Mariana and Albertina show how the looming threat of enforcement creates ripple effects in immigrant communities. Many families are grappling with the dual challenge of trying to remain together while planning for a worst-case scenario.

Nora Sandigo’s activism is both a lifeline and a challenging testament to the inadequacies in the system. For the children in her care, her efforts provide short-term stability. But Sandigo herself has acknowledged the taxing nature of the work. Being the guardian of such a large number of children—on top of her own daily responsibilities—raises questions about whether this model could ever be sustainable. Moreover, placing the weight of such a critical role on one individual reflects the broader absence of structural solutions.

The current landscape offers little clarity about potential new legislation or relief measures to help families like these. As of February 2025, no formal policy changes have specifically addressed guardianship arrangements for the children of immigrants facing deportation. Still, the fact that these issues persist suggests an urgent need to revisit immigration policies and develop a more family-focused approach. Debate around immigration reform often centers on economic or security concerns, but the stories of families torn apart underline the human consequences that merit equal attention.

Analysis from VisaVerge.com highlights the disproportionate effects that strict enforcement has on scenarios like family unity and child welfare. The site notes that community-driven solutions, though helpful, cannot address the root causes of family separation. These efforts, while admirable, leave families caught between fear and hope, relying on the goodwill of individuals like Nora Sandigo.

In Florida and beyond, cases like these bring to light the complexities of resolving the intersection of immigration enforcement and child protection. They also spark broader conversations about the ethical responsibilities of the U.S. immigration system. While parents with undocumented status face potential deportation, it is their children—many of whom are U.S. citizens—who bear the burdens of these policies, often facing deep emotional and social consequences.

Immigrant families, as seen in the examples of Mariana and Albertina, continue to face an uphill battle in pursuit of stability. They must navigate an emotionally fraught process that includes preparing for scenarios few parents can imagine. Meanwhile, activists like Sandigo offer immediate help, but their capacity is finite, and the need vastly outpaces the available resources.

In conclusion, the fears and decisions of immigrant families, paired with the support of individuals like Nora Sandigo, illustrate the ongoing challenges of immigration enforcement policies in America. These arrangements of guardianship papers provide some relief but do not resolve the broader ethical and legal challenges created by family separation. Policy changes will ultimately be necessary to address these deep-rooted issues and reduce the burdens placed on vulnerable families and community activists. Until then, families in Florida and across the U.S. will continue to face impossible choices while seeking to keep their children safe.

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Guardianship Papers → Legal documents designating a trusted adult to care for a child if parents cannot due to deportation or detention.
Power of Attorney → A legal authorization allowing one person to act on behalf of another in specific matters, like child care.
Unaccompanied Minors → Children without a parent or guardian, often placed in government care after deportation or detention of their parents.
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) → U.S. agency specializing in care and placement of unaccompanied minors with vetted sponsors.
Immigration Enforcement → Government policies and actions aimed at identifying, detaining, and deporting individuals violating immigration laws.

This Article in a Nutshell

In Florida, Nora Sandigo becomes a lifeline for immigrant families fearing deportation. Signing guardianship papers for over 2,000 children, she shields them from family separation. Her work highlights systemic gaps, offering temporary hope but no permanent solution. Until policies prioritize family unity, impossible choices will haunt these vulnerable families daily.
— By VisaVerge.com