TAMPA, Fla. — Organizations that help immigrant families have been busy lately. They say it’s due to immigration policy changes imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The impact is being felt at places like Catholic Charities, which is reporting a 30 percent increase in cases involving immigration.

Catholic Charities has been packed the past three months as families navigate changing immigration policies.

“People that are coming is a lot more than before December,” says Jose Fernandez.

He has been an immigration counselor for more than 25 years. He is concerned to see the rise in requests for legal help.

“We want to help people, we want to inform people, we want to make it more of an ease by getting the information that they need,” he said.

Fernandez says their workload has increased by 30 percent in the last three months. Part of his work now includes know your rights presentations to educate the community on their rights as immigration policies change.

In the full waiting room, some are looking for help with their immigration case. Others seek clarity.

“If they are going to be apprehended — and if they are apprehended what’s going to happen — what can they do, and if they need to have a plan for that,” he said.

The cases they’re working on are mostly petitions for relatives and updating green card and work permits.

Fernandez is focused on education, too. He says the immigration policy changes have led to unethical legal services being offered.

So, he offers some advice of his own.

“A lot of people are afraid right now, they have a lot of questions, just to be careful to be safe," he said.

Catholic Charities will continue to offer education for families who may not qualify for their services.

It is open Monday through Saturday and clients are helped on a first come, first serve basis.