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Juan Carlos Chavez - Immigration Reporter

Immigration Reporter

I am from the city of Lima (Peru). When I was a teenager I thought of dedicating myself professionally to football but the passion for reading and writing took me in other ways. This is how I came to journalism, a profession that has allowed me to get to know other cultures, countries and people of all kinds. I live in the United States because I always believed that this was the best place to dedicate myself to the press and tell stories with a human sense. I was not wrong. I went through Miami and finally arrived in Tampa, a city that has its own history and a rich Hispanic tradition. The perfect combination for a journalist like me.

  1. Tampa residents Liliana Jimenez, left, Magela Gongora and Yusmier Mesa have received the I-220A form, which is given to people who have been freed from custody. But it also places them in the deportation process.
  2. Maria Gabriela 'Gaby' Pacheco, an influential immigrant rights and education leader from Miami is the new president and CEO of TheDream.US.
  3. From left to right: Osvaldo Lopez-Flores, 23; Misael Lopez-Velasco, 29; and Perfecto Morales Gutierrez, 38, members of Tierras de Juárez.
  4. Mohammad Hammad, owner of the 1948 Cafe, chats with guests on the patio enjoying drinks and hookah on Oct. 20 in Tampa. "We are all friends, we are like a family,” he said.
  5. Oct. 18• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A plane carrying Israeli evacuees landed in Tampa on Wednesday morning. It was the second flight from Israel to land in Tampa this week.
  6. Gov. Ron DeSantis talks to the media after greeting passengers arriving from Israel on a chartered flight organized by Project Dynamo on Sunday The flight landed at Tampa International Airport with 270 evacuees from Israel, including 91 children and four dogs.
  7. Sarahy Illas, left, Darianna Fernández and Elba Dayana Fernández talk in their kitchen on Oct. 4 in Tampa. Elba and Darianna made the treacherous trek through the Darién Gap.
  8. The traffic stop in Hernando County that resulted in the arrest of Raquel Lopez Aguilar, a Mexican national, on charges of transporting undocumented immigrants into Florida.
  9. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, argues a point with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX Business Network and Univision, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
  10. Leticia Hernandez, right, niece of Jose G. Hernandez who died alongside his wife and three children in a train collision on Saturday, receives a hug from women paying their respects at the site of the crash, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 in Plant City, Fla. The weekend crash between a train and a sports-utility vehicle that killed six people in Florida happened at a private road crossing where little more than a sign or two is required, no crossing gates, no flashing lights, no sound. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
  11. Sept. 23• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi meets with supporters at an event hosted by the Hillsborough County Democratic Caucus of Florida at the Cuban Club on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Ybor City.
  12. Rogelio Rauda stacks damaged drywall from a Crystal River motel room in the bed of his truck to take to the dumpster on Sept. 12. The room was flooded by Hurricane Idalia.
  13. Kelly Kowall stands near a pile of seat and sofa cushions salvaged from flooded cottages Wednesday at My Warrior's Place, a retreat for veterans, first responders and Gold Star families in Ruskin that suffered serious damage last week as Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida’s west coast.
  14. Elementary school students, from left, Sophia Gonzales, 8, Alanna Viera, 9, and Thiago Morales, 8, work on homework under the supervision of multicultural mentor Alayne Unterberger, background, while attending the Florida Institute of Community Studies' after-school program on Thursday, Aug 24, 2023, in Town 'N Country.
  15. Plant City police say they found a man dead on the side of Airport Road early Sunday.
  16. Ana Lamb, a local activist and founder of Apoyo para la Comunidad, said the WhatsApp messaging group is meant to help people share trusted information and feel more confident about accessing it.
  17. Bill Fusselle, 63, shows his support for Wander Franco during Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies. "It’s as if he’s been convicted before any evidence has been analyzed," he said.
  18. Lucy Stewart, right, who is the president and founder of Aguilas International Technical Institute in Tampa, shares a moment with home health aid students upon leaving their classroom on Monday, August 7, 2023.
  19. Manuel Pimentel, 42, left, plays catch with son Manny Jr., 12, of Lutz, at Calusa Trace Park on Friday. Manny Jr. is a fan of Wander Franco, and his dad hasn't kept him in the dark about the current allegations against the Rays shortstop.
  20. Rays shortstop Wander Franco is the subject of investigations in the Dominican Republic and by Major League Baseball after allegations of a relationship with a minor.
  21. The Vasquez Family prepares for lunch on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023 in Tampa.
  22. A new provision in Florida law that takes effect in November 2028 will block aspirations to practice law among certain immigrants. Its part of a new immigration law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
  23. Nancy Hernandez, 60, of Tampa, left, founder of the nonprofit Mujeres Restauradas por Dios (Women Restored by God). The group organizes weekly food donations, job search assistance and offers people counseling and educational workshops. Now, they are planning to open their first local clinic to offer assistance to immigrants and their families.