Thirty-two percent of adults in all immigrant families are worried that they, a family member, or a close friend are going to be deported. In mixed-status families, it 58 percent. As never before, documented and undocumented immigrants residing in the United States are in constant fear of taking over their day-to-day activities.
“Sixty percent of mixed-status families were either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ concerned about participating in essential activities in their communities because they did not want to draw attention to their status or the immigration status of a family member,” said a report by the Urban Institute.
The report states “The new federal administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, including recission of guidance limiting enforcement in “sensitive locations” (also known as “protected areas,”), such as schools, places of worship, and health care settings”. “Targeting immigrant communities with threats of widespread enforcement will have a variety of impacts for the well-being and safety of immigrant families and the broader communities where they live”, it adds.
The fear extends to activities such as going to a doctor’s appointment, visiting someone in a hospital, going to work, sending children to school or daycare, talking to the police, driving the car, even attending religious or community services.
According to the study, 16% of families with a member who is some type of immigrant expressed fear, which increased to 26% among those who have someone with a Green Card (permanent residence permit) or naturalized citizenship and 60% among mixed families.
The survey is the first to be conducted after Trump’s victory in last year’s elections, particularly in the immigrant community with undocumented persons.
Dulce González, one of the authors of the report, warned that they are “observing that the effects are much broader than expected”. Many people -she stressed- may think that this is something that only affects undocumented people or people with mixed-status family members. “And that’s not the case in what we found in our survey,” she added.
The current immigration policies of the Trump Administration worry all families, regardless of the type of immigrant in the family, that is, those with a Green Card or even citizenship by naturalization, Gonzalez noted.
While the level of concern is higher in families with mixed status, families who have U.S. citizens or who have family members with a green card are also affected and have these concerns.
At the moment the United States has suspended the processing of ‘Green Cards’ for refugees and asylum seekers, which could significantly increase waiting times for thousands of applicants seeking permanent residency, when other legal avenues to enter the country are eliminated. The Republican president promised to make the largest deportations in history, focusing on irregular migrants with a criminal record. However, distrust is growing that any immigrant could be susceptible to the aggressive measures of this administration.
(Translated by Rene Phelvin – Email: renephelvin@gmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
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