Testimony of immigrant woman detained by ICE Homeland Security

Marlene Jaggarnauth is a mother and grandmother of seven American children, who made mistakes like everyone else. After falling into post partum depression she robbed groceries in 1997. In 2003 she was detained by Homeland Security’s ICE agents and incarcerated in an Immigration Detention Center for 12 months. Then she got deported back to Trinidad & Tobago in 2004. Her elderly mother -who is legally blind- had to take care of her children and grandchildren. With the support of a Florida-based immigration advocacy organization, Marlene Jaggarnauth fought back for her rights and returned to the US in 2007 after being four years separated from her children. Now Marlene Jaggarnauth works in a local University and with a non-profit defending the rights of immigrants who are unfairly detained by ICE and who suffer of emotional torture, abuse, discrimination and human rights violations at the Homeland Security’s ICE detention centers. Video and text by Carlos in DC blog: Carlosqc.blogspot.com .