The last few weeks have made clear that Donald Trump meant every word of his anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric and is intent on fulfilling the wish lists of the most extreme fringes of his base. But they’ve also proven that our resistance is powerful and that the movement emerging across the country is just beginning.
Trump’s Muslim ban executive order and the detaining of refugees at airports showed the cruelty and callousness this administration is willing to sign into policy. But the outpouring of protests in response and the legal action that struck down the executive order showed that the American people still believe in a country where everyone belongs and everyone is welcome. The terrifying weekend of immigration raids that swept the country, including here in Santa Maria, drove chilling fear into the hearts of countless families. But the Day Without an Immigrant strike that erupted in response through workplaces and classrooms showed our community’s strength and bravery in the face of hatred.
Now we face our biggest challenge yet. The administration has finally released the details of its immigration policy. It doubles down on a broken immigration system, discarding basic human rights safeguards, and devoting enormous resources to tearing millions of ordinary working people out of our communities.
While Trump at times has said he will limit deportations to people who have committed crimes other than simply living and working in the United States, it appears the administration has decided to dramatically expand the targets of immigration raids and deportations to virtually every undocumented person in the country. This will include millions of people who have lived in our communities for 10, 20, or 30 years—our coworkers, neighbors, family members, and friends.
Here in Santa Barbara County, one in 10 people would fall under the scope of these deportation orders. One in 10 of the people who live and work alongside us, members of our churches, our children’s friends’ parents, and the faces at shops and restaurants in our neighborhoods. This scale of mass deportation would unravel our communities by tearing parents from their children, devastating local businesses, and causing social and economic chaos.
The new Trump immigration policy:
• Eliminates Obama administration selective targeting and instead widens the scope of raids and deportations to nearly anyone simply living and working in the United States without proper documentation.
• Proposes hiring 15,000 additional ICE agents and using the resources of police forces around the country, turning local police into immigration agents to carry out these deportations.
• Limits legal protections for asylum seekers fleeing violence and persecution and unaccompanied children seeking to reunite with family members, opening much greater potential for human rights violations.
• Proposes to deport immigrants to their country of origin while their day in court is still pending, making them guilty until proven innocent.
• Puts the burden of proof on immigrants to either show they’ve been living in the country for the past two years or be put into “expedited removal,” which denies them their due process rights of basic court proceedings to defend themselves.
So, what can we do?
Help stay alert to ICE activity in our community without spreading false rumors that create fear and trauma for immigrant families. If you see white, windowless vans and agents in black “ICE” vests, take a picture and note the time and location. If you see a social media post, don’t circulate it without any confirmation that the information is real. You can call California immigrant rights advocates at (844) 878-7801 to confirm or report.
Advocate for our local elected officials to take a stand and ensure our local police resources aren’t used for Trump’s deportation machine. Urge our state legislators Jordan Cunningham and Hannah-Beth Jackson to support the California Values Act, which would make California a sanctuary state. Tell Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown to stop letting ICE access our county databases and facilities.
When undocumented immigrants conflate ICE with law enforcement, they are pushed further into the shadows, afraid to call the police to report a crime. Our public safety is at stake. When immigrants are afraid to call the police, we’re all less safe.
Help your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers learn their rights. If ICE agents come to your door, you don’t have to open the door unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. Like anyone living in the United States, you have the right to remain silent, to speak to a lawyer, and to refuse an unwarranted search of your home. You cannot be forced to sign anything or answer questions until you speak to a lawyer.
None of us can be silent anymore. It’s time to take a stand in solidarity with our immigrant communities, who are so deeply connected to every part of our community here in Santa Maria. It’s time to defend our basic values of being a community where people can struggle to reach their dreams and create a better life for their families. To make that ideal a reality, it will take all of us doing our part.
Hazel Davalos is a resident of Santa Maria and the organizing director for the Central Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE). Send your thoughts to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 2-9, 2017.