Immigration uncertainty spurs action

They host rallies, operate hotline centers, respond to immigration enforcement calls, advocate in court, meet with local legislators and offer countless other forms of aid to those fearful of deportation.

While their methods may vary, most agree their call to action is a response President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, and the impact of those positions on locals considered an essential piece of the community’s fabric.

“It’s really hard, because these are folks who have tried to do the best they can and raise their children and take care of families and they have kids that will be left in limbo if they get swept up,” said Jenny Horne, a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. “It’s a painful thing to be a part of in this country. It feels like we’ve gone backwards on a lot of things.”

Horne offers legal support to those facing immigration cases and many of her clients are Dreamers — children of undocumented immigrant parents but are living legally in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act.

Horne said her clientele started experiencing heightened unease with Trump’s rise in politics and those fears have only worsened since he took the White House with an intent to implement policy promises from the campaign trail.

Federal lawmakers are at odds over the matter which may determine the future of nearly 800,000 people who live in the United States under DACA. A March 8 deadline looms, and Democrats are scrambling to build consensus for preserving the policy established under former President Barack Obama.

In the meantime, Lisa Marie Wong and her colleagues at Faith In Action operate a call center in San Mateo County primarily designed to address concerns of any who fear deportation by federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents.

The center is experiencing an uptick in calls, ranging in nature from those reporting ICE’s potential presence in a neighborhood to others simply storing the number in their phone in case of emergency, she said.

In the case of an ICE report, Faith In Action developed a team of roughly 1,300 volunteers charged with responding to investigate whether potential sightings of the federal agents who carry out deportation raids are valid.

Should the agents conduct an enforcement sweep, the rapid responder volunteers are expected to film the process in an effort to collect evidence which may be useful in court.

While federal officials recently requesting employee documentation from dozens of Bay Area businesses further amplified local concerns regarding immigration sweeps, Wong said there has been no reports of widespread enforcement recently.

In lieu of responding to an emergency, Wong said the organization’s primary utility is quelling community fears.

“I think our function, mostly has been to verify that ICE is present. If they are not, we are able to provide an important function, which is to calm,” he said.

Wong acknowledged the nature of her work can be challenging but said the difficulties are balanced against the rewarding components.

“It’s very encouraging to see the community come together to protect each other,” she said. “It’s very encouraging. It gives me a lot of hope.”

The 31-year-old South San Francisco resident said she was compelled to join Faith In Action following Trump’s election, and said the volunteer ranks grew precipitously concurrently over the past year.

Earlier this month, Wong’s organization joined in San Mateo with local clergy and county officials to again promote the support systems in place for threatened communities.

Dave Pine, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, said it is heartening to see residents come together in support of nearly 9,000 local community members under DACA.

“It’s a terribly difficult situation to be in, where your rights to stay in the country are unclear and you have to live in fear of potential deportation every time you leave the house,” he said. “So the county and the citizen groups and others that have rallied here are trying to respond to that need to bring some more certainty to these residents.”

Further plans for future rallies are in place too, as a group of San Mateo high school students are readying a march down El Camino Real next week in solidarity with Dreamers.

Students from San Mateo and Hillsdale high schools will participate in the march, which is expected to culminate at the office of U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, where immigration policy will be discussed. Speier stopped by Hillsdale High School Friday, Feb. 9, to discuss the issue with students as well.

Hillsdale High School senior student Kyle Guanzon said he was inspired to organize the event partially due to the uncertainty facing his classmates.

“I know a bunch of students who are DACA recipients and they are scared of what will happen to them,” said Guanzon, 18.

While optimistic the students’ presence will help spread awareness regarding their concerns, Guanzon said it is more important that people recognize the inequity facing such a substantial segment of the local community.

“This is their home, and their home doesn’t accept them,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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