No way out: Undocumented immigrants must choose between facing a hurricane or being deported

Sister Phylis L. Peters is going to stay with her people even if it means putting her own life on the line.

Recent news that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will check the immigration status of individuals fleeing a hurricane has sent a chill through the poor, unincorporated colonia of Cameron Park, where Peters founded Proyecto Juan Diego, a community center.

If a hurricane strikes South Texas this year, the colonia's undocumented residents might have to choose between deportation and evacuation.

"If they are staying, I'm not leaving," Peters said.

Because many Cameron Park residents have family members residing in the U.S. illegally, there are concerns that families could be divided once they hit the Border Patrol checkpoints.

On Friday, a group of undocumented women discussed the issue over lunch. For some, it was the first they had heard of the Border Patrol's plans.

"Instead of offering us help when we need it most, they're threatening us with deportation," Patricia said. "It's like they're taking advantage of a disaster to go fishing for undocumented immigrants."

"I live an old house that would never make it through the storm," Maria said. "But this leaves me with no option but to stay there."

"It's like they're asking us to commit suicide," Patty said.

Residents opting not to evacuate is a concern of County Judge Carlos H. Cascos whose main concern is for the safety of the county's 387,000 plus residents.

"Once this word gets out people are just not going to do it. I think they would rather face the wrath of a hurricane than the wrath of being deported," Cascos said.

"Our role is to get people out safely, quickly and as efficiently as we can and get them to a safe haven...we should not be doing anything that is going to discourage people from evacuating. I think this is going to discourage people and frighten people," Cascos said.

Although Cascos has the power to issue a mandatory evacuation should a hurricane threaten the area, the county cannot force people to leave. If the residents choose to stay and the area gets flooded, the county is responsible for evacuating them to a safe place.

"We wish they would not do it. We think it is counterproductive to our evacuation process," Cascos said. "What they are trying to do, I don't think is in the best interest of the citizenry."

It's a difficult situation for the Border Patrol agents who are following the rules handed down within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Dan Doty, spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley Sector.

"We value human life. You can never give somebody a life back. We don't want to see any loss of life, but at the same time we are mandated in our immigration duties and our Homeland Security duties," Doty said.

Doty reiterated the government's stance that the checkpoints will remain open during an evacuation and that if an individual is found to have entered the United States illegally, they will be deported back to their country once the area has been deemed safe.

Those in custody will be temporarily transported to either the Laredo or San Antonio sectors.

Undocumented immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens will be given the option to keep their children with them if they are minors or send them up to San Antonio if they have relatives who are able to care for the children.

"Family unity is very important to us. We do not want to separate families, but we have to do what we are mandated to do," Doty said.