ARLINGTON, Texas—Maria De La Luz Santi strode across the dark, bronze-colored wooden floors toward the conference room. Opening the door to the room with floor-to-ceiling glass panels facing an array of cubicles, a cold gust brushed past her as she closed the door to the sunlit room. She pulled out a rolling chair and sat with ease. Her hands descended beneath the long conference table as the silence settled.

Dreams ‘need to be achieved’

Santi works as an attorney for Jackson, Landrith & Kulesz PC, specializing in immigration proceedings. She handles matters such as business cases and estate planning. As an attorney, she said she feels motivated by advocacy and helping people preserve their rights, particularly when working with the Hispanic community and businesses.

“It’s a movement of not only diversity, but full of dreams,” Santi said. “They need to be achieved.”

Santi noted that during client consultations, she often provided legal advice and discovered that many of the concerns clients shared were becoming trends. Clients were worried that their bank accounts could be frozen or that their information would be compromised and shared with the Department of Homeland Security. Santi understood that these ideas originated on Instagram and TikTok. She identified them as misinformation that was only worsening immigration cases.

“TikTok is not reliable. Instagram is not reliable. Try to get the information from firsthand sources that are going to be honest about it, not making fear grow when there is no need,” Santi said.

She said she stopped looking at social media to give herself peace of mind because there was too much information coming from unreliable sources. With a sigh of relief, she expressed gratitude that people come to places like JLK Attorneys for consultations.

“Can you imagine what 5 million of immigrants would do if this happened statewide or the whole U.S.  I mean, it’s a problem that sometimes we do not have enough ways to attack that misinformation,” she said.

Battling harmful misconceptions

Santi said common misconceptions are leading immigrants to not call the police, not press charges and not speak out about being a victim of a crime. She also noted that many believed being detained meant you couldn’t preserve your property. Santi said immigrants often fear that calling the police will result in deportation. In domestic abuse cases, she said women hesitate to seek legal assistance due to their immigration status.

Santi said it’s important that immigrants not suffer in silence.

She said immigrants should:

• Hire a professional attorney to lead the case.
• Understand that every single person in the U.S. has constitutional rights that protect them.
• Know that victims of a crime should ask for help regardless of legal status.
• Stay informed about what is happening under this presidential administration from reliable sources.
• Have a contingency plan in place.

“We are constantly in continuous education being aware of the changes of law and knowing what you can do and what you cannot, how to file your asylum application, your green card application,” she said.

Informative forums can be found at Iglesia CAFE and at Mexican consulates. These forums provide guidance on immigration, real estate and business matters—including what to do if stopped by the police or detained by ICE, as well as information on legal resources and immigration benefits.

The forums are open to the public free of charge.

Community Involvement

Santi was the Minority Outreach Director of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce. Although the chamber’s primary mission is to promote the business community and improve the community through business partnerships, she said it also has many resources for families. She said her goal is to represent as an immigrant herself, aiming to help businesses prosper.

Anyone can use the resources that they provide because Chamber members will assist anyone in need. She emphasized that she wants to uplift the community by educating them on their fundamental rights.

“To let them know that people like me, we made it. They can as well,” she said, noting the only requirement to join is to be an active participant of the community.

Santi is also a member of Arlington’s Latino Advisory Council. She explained that the council represents the city much like the City Council does, with a deep understanding of the community. She also expressed appreciation for Mayor Jim Ross, who allowed them the opportunity to establish the Latino advisory panel.

“This is for people who come after me, generations that come after me, my children, to leave this legacy for them to understand their roots, to fight for our country, the U.S., because we are U.S. citizens, but also to show that there is still humanity here,” she said.