John Gitlitz

In the weeks following President Trump’s inauguration, a collective panic swept through the immigrant community in Mamaroneck and much of Westchester. Almost daily we heard rumors of nearby ICE activities, of people detained and deported. None proved true but people believed them. Fear fed on fear.

Immigrants account for almost 25 percent of Westchester’s population. While some are recent arrivals, a majority has been here for five years or more. Most are here legally. Only about one-quarter are undocumented, according to Migration Population Institute estimates.

The early panic has diminished but the fear remains. The Trump administration has actively laid the groundwork to deport greater numbers, quickly, if and when it so chooses. It has done so less by creating new laws than by reinterpreting old ones, expanding “expedited” procedures that permit immigrants to be deported without trial before an immigration judge; expanding the category of deportable “criminals” to include not only those found guilty of a crime but also anyone charged or who might be charged with one; and by increasing pressure on localities to assist federal authorities in identifying, locating and detaining the undocumented.

This process has been accompanied by the incessant refrain that the undocumented are dangerous criminals, rapists, drug-dealers and terrorists, the chants of “build the wall,” and Trump’s promise to send them back home. The White House establishes a hot line for victims of crimes by immigrants, attaching individual acts to an entire group, while ignoring that, as shown in repeated academic studies, immigrants are among those least likely to commit violent crimes.

Thus the fear and the vulnerability remain. The most serious concern is often what will happen to the children of immigrants.

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One example seen at the Community Resource Center: A father is raising two sons, alone, because his wife remains in Mexico with their other children. One son is in high school, the other in middle school. Both are citizens. The father fears that he will be deported. He may face a choice between leaving his two sons here so they can pursue the life he dreamt for them or taking them home, where the family’s financial situation has deteriorated due to recent flooding. The boys, like many immigrant children seen at the Center, have begun to show symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress.

Another: A married couple has three children, two of whom were born in this country. Both parents are undocumented and could be deported without notice — and without their citizen children. They have frantically pieced together a family emergency plan to designate documented persons as caretakers of their children. Recently they used a substantial portion of their savings to purchase a round-trip ticket for one of those guardians to escort their children to Mexico — should it be necessary.

At the Community Resource Center we know we cannot prevent those who are detained from being deported; what we can do is endeavor to lessen the harm. We are working in three areas: know-your-rights; immigrant family preparedness; and legal assistance.

Know-Your-Rights: The Community Resource Center has organized “know-your-rights” community forums. The central message is that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) cannot simply break into your home and detain anyone it desires. ICE must show a judicial warrant, signed by a judge, naming the person(s) to be detained. Absent such a warrant, they cannot enter without permission.

Immigrant family preparedness: In the event of parents being detained, who will be responsible for their children? Who will administer their financial affairs? We help parents address these complex and emotionally difficult questions.

Legal assistance: Many undocumented immigrants are unaware that special circumstances may make them eligible for some form of immigration status relief. Our case managers and volunteer attorneys review, identify and assist these immigrants.

We could not accomplish this without the support of others in our community, including: the mayor, board of trustees and the police, who have repeatedly affirmed that their duty is to care for all residents, not enforce federal immigration policy; the volunteers who help us assist immigrants; and the schools, where teachers and counselors work with us to prepare for whatever may come and lawyers are assisting us to review and prepare cases.

There remains much we cannot do. If Washington does decide to act as aggressively as it so often claims it will, we will need legions of lawyers — lawyers whom immigrants cannot afford. We can only hope members of the bar will step up to assist.

Still, the panic has receded, perhaps because many immigrants now know they can take at least partial control of their and their families’ fates. And they know that so many people in our community stand with them.

The writer is a board member of the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck.