IMMIGRANTS PREPARE ACTION PLANS AFTER TRUMP SAYS HE WILL ALLOW ICE TO ACT IN SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND HOSPITALS
NBC News spoke with nearly a half-dozen immigrants' rights advocates across four states, and they all said they have received an increased number of calls from immigrants asking about their rights. They have also heard questions from community groups, schools and churches about what their roles are in the face of such possibilities.
In response, the advocates and groups are conducting know-your-rights trainings and helping vulnerable families prepare plans of action in case an undocumented relative is suddenly detained or deported.
In Texas, a new law requiring some hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status is starting to "push folks further into the shadows," showing a glimpse into what happens when sensitive locations become targets of immigration enforcement, said Javier Hidalgo, legal director of RAICES, a nonprofit group in San Antonio that advocates for refugees and immigrants.
Texas has become a model for immigration crackdown, Hidalgo said, but that has also motivated advocates and nonprofits to provide tools and resources to affected families to curb the detrimental effects of detentions and deportations. These stand to impact nearly 5.8 million U.S. households, in which at least one relative is undocumented …
RAICES, the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas and a leading refugee resettlement agency, has said it's "ready to challenge any presidential actions that threaten equitable access to the legal and human right to seek safety in the U.S."
If the policy restricting immigration enforcement actions on sensitive locations is rescinded, depending on how the Trump administration executes that, there may be legal ground for a challenge, Hidalgo said. Until then, the organization will remain vigilant.
