Immigration fears up along Peninsula

A significant policy shift could jeopardize the protections depended on by an estimated 800,000 nationally and many who live, work and learn in San Mateo County.

Valicia Trowbridge, an immigration attorney with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, said the recent reports have given way to heightened angst and unease among many she serves.

“The uncertainty causes a lot of anxiety,” said Trowbridge, who added she fielded an uptick in calls with questions from clients following the most recent reports Thursday, Aug. 31.

Some of those concerns are likely fueled by the mixed messages coming out of Washington, D.C., as media outlets such as Fox News and McClatchy reported Trump would end the program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, while federal officials claimed otherwise.

White House Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert said in several news reports that administrators are still reviewing the issue — a message which offered little solace to local educators, entrepreneurs and others who oppose the change looming since Trump’s days on the campaign trail.

“I think this is a travesty,” said Kevin Skelly, superintendent of the San Mateo Union High School District. “These are kids who didn’t choose to come to the country.”

Despite his frustration, Skelly said his district will continue to support all its students and will not seek information regarding immigration status.

“We are going to continue to swing hard for any kid that walks through the door,” said Skelly.

Mitch Bailey, spokesman for the San Mateo County Community College District, shared a similar perspective.

“It’s unfortunate, but sadly, not unexpected. The DACA program has provided undocumented students an opportunity to pursue an education and gain knowledge and skills that will help them create better lives for themselves and their families,” he said in an email. “Ending DACA will needlessly harm and punish these students for something that was no fault of their own.”

To lend support for those potentially threatened by any policy change, Bailey added each district campus has established Dream Centers where undocumented students and families can go to get legal advice, counseling or other assistance.

Both high school and community college district officials, as well as many others locally, also passed resolutions last year affirming a commitment to doing as much as possible to protect students from aggressive immigration enforcement.

Sheri Costa, spokeswoman for the San Mateo Union High School District, said the effort by educators to console local students is essential to helping improve the schools’ learning environment.

“If students don’t feel protected, they have a hard time learning and investing in their education,” she said in an email. “And if they don’t trust that they have the same opportunities as students born here they have a harder time investing in their future and the future of their communities. No one wins.”

Skelly added a similar perspective and suggested the psychological impact could result in students unplugging from pursuit of a bright future.

“When your possibility to work and get an education after high school is severely diminished, it’s just human nature to not invest as much in your education as you would otherwise,” he said.

To his point regarding the potential harmful economic repercussions, leaders in the local tech sector — which draws heavily on international labor — also issued statements supporting DACA.

“Dreamers grew up here, live here and are contributing to our communities and our economy,” said ride hailing company Uber in a prepared statement. “Their contributions make America more competitive and they deserve the opportunity to work, study and pursue the American dream.”

FWD.us, a tech-equity initiative led by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, also circulated a memo and petition recognizing the social and economic contribution of Dreamers.

In Bay Area communities beyond Silicon Valley, social justice groups in Oakland and San Jose planned protests in solidarity with communities potentially threatened by Trump’s decision.

As emotions rise, Trowbridge said witnessing the toll taken is taxing.

“It’s heartbreaking, I have seen the power of what DACA can do for my clients,” she said. “I have clients who are well educated and have advanced degrees because of employment opportunities. But if you have no status and no employment authorization, what are you going to do?”

To meet their fears, Trowbridge is advising her clients to beef up their immigration law expertise to protect themselves should they or a loved one face the threat of deportation.

She also suggested those who benefited from the policy may find they enjoy more legal protections than they had years ago when they first registered as Dreamers.

“It’s worth the effort to get another consultation should that have actually changed,” she said, while noting to look out for fraudulent or unauthorized parties offering legal advice.

While uncertainty continues to shroud such a pivotal issue though, Trowbridge said she expects some in her community will be paralyzed by fear of losing the legal shield on which they rely.

“It changes the calculus at every level of your movements, and that’s not the America that I know and love, where people have to live in constant fear,” she said. “More than anything, that is what breaks my heart. The idea that we have created an atmosphere of fear where people who are part of immigrant families — every aspect of their life is impacted.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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