President Donald Trump’s administration, in the past couple of weeks, has asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to team up with officers from other federal agencies to enforce Trump’s deportation policies. The administration has also implemented a series of executive actions aimed at deporting immigrants and discouraging more from entering into the U.S.
In response to these measures, organizations and immigrants have restructured their lives and continue to do so. Many migrant parents have opted to keep their children out of city schools, fearing enforcement efforts after the administration revoked longstanding guidelines that previously restricted immigration agents from operating in “sensitive locations.” Street vendors in New York — 95% of whom are immigrants, including many undocumented individuals — are steering clear of situations that could lead to a ticket, fearing such penalties might draw the attention of ICE.
The fact that recent immigration enforcement actions by the U.S. government have been publicized on social media and right-wing media outlets have only added to immigrants’ fears about going about their daily activities. Over the weekend, activists criticized recent ICE operations, involving figures like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and television personality Dr. Phil, arguing that they are designed more for spectacle and to instill fear among immigrant communities than for genuine law enforcement purposes. “This is a publicity stunt to them,” Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, told The Guardian, deriding Noem for “cosplaying as a law enforcement officer.” “This has never been about security and safety,” Awawdeh added. “This is about cruelty, and that’s the point.”
Attorneys and experts on immigration law have also criticized the administration’s portrayal of undocumented immigrants as a “criminal” offense despite the fact that being in the U.S. without documentation is a “civil” offense — a fact the U.S. Supreme Court itself makes clear. “As a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain present in the United States,” according to Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387, 407 (2012).
The Trump Administration’s approach has drawn comparisons to anti-immigrant policies in past presidential administrations and is seen by some as a tactic that could unify immigrant communities in resistance.
In the meantime, immigrant-focused organizations have been thinking on their feet, trying to build as much resistance as possible. In a new report, Documented’s correspondent for Caribbean Communities, Ralph Thomassaint Joseph, writes that Life of Hope, a prominent Haitian-led organization in New York, has shifted its English as a Second Language classes to online platforms due to escalating fears of ICE raids.
The move to virtual classes presents difficulties for many LOH clients, particularly those with low literacy rates. Some students struggle with the technology required for online learning, and crowded living conditions also make it hard to find a conducive environment for study.
The intensified immigration enforcement and pervasive fear of deportation have adversely affected the mental well-being of community members, making it challenging for them to focus on learning and maintain a positive outlook.
“When immigrants are at risk, we must reach out, offer services within our capacity, and provide support. We must not abandon them,” said Porez Luxama, LOH’s executive director and co-founder. “It’s our duty to go to their homes, deliver services, and find ways to offer them moral support.”