How the Washington Commages respond to ice deportation orders – Cascade PBS News

What can immigrants do

Norouzi said she and OneAmerica employees are reminiscent of selected employees and jurisdictions at all levels of state laws that can provide additional protection to immigrants.

For example, the state adopted the KEEP WASHINGTON Work Work Act in 2019 in response to Trump’s actions on immigration during his first term. This legislation confirms that state and local law enforcement authorities do not have the primary purpose of applying the Civil Federal Immigration Act. The law also establishes that a person’s immigration status, presence only in the country or employment is not a matter of police action. The law also recognizes the contribution of immigrants to sectors such as agriculture, food processing, construction and healthcare and that the state’s priority is to maintain the rights and dignity of residents to ensure that they can continue to work.

WAISN provides numerous services for those affected by immigration, Velazquez said, including detainees and their families.

Both Waisn and Oneamerica have proposed “know your rights” sessions to ensure that undocumented immigrants understand their rights under the law and what they should or should not say during ice interaction. The trainers also remind people that they are entitled to a lawyer during interactions with law enforcement. WAISN also offers a Fair Fight Bond Fund, a community immigration bonds fund that pays for the release of detainees after immigration.

“No matter what the current administration says, these are the legal rights that everyone in this country, regardless of status, have,” Norouzi said.

Get a city

In Sunnyside, in the lower Valley of Yakima, about 30% – probably more – of nearly 17,000 inhabitants are undocumented, said Mike Gonzalez, an urban manager. In general, Latinos make up about 90% of the city’s population, which means that many people are probably affected by immigration repression in some way.

He said he had heard of a local day care that encouraged parents to sign the powers of orders if they were taken away from ice.

“These are real fears,” Gonzalez said. “For our community this is a reality.”

Gonzalez said some residents remember that they had seen such attacks in the late 1980s and 90s, including in the fields of the agricultural land where their parents worked. “There is an element of PTSR in our community [in the] 35-year-old scope. “

Gonzalez said his priority is to guarantee the safety of all residents, regardless of their immigration status. Part of this work involves providing an information card in English and Spanish, outlining its rights if ICE approaches them.

This move generates rage from residents who believe that it and the city protect those who violate the law. Gonzalez said criticism did not deter him.

While Gonzalez stated that he wanted his police department to deal with any criminal activity immediately – from everyone – he disagrees with rhetoric that those who do not have a law should be considered criminals. He notes that immigrants contribute to the local economy, especially in agriculture, an important industry for Sunnyside and the state.

“People come here for various reasons,” he said. “They come here for opportunities, for economic reasons.”

The city has not received a preliminary notice of ice activity. Officials often learn about arrests or other actions through agencies or advocacy organizations, Gonzalez said. “They really, indeed, work thieving in themselves,” he said. “We have no communication.”

Long -playing game

OneAmerica norosi said it was often easy to respond to an emergency and then respond, and not actively deal with immigrants’ problems.

“Part of the chaos and the submission of these executive orders aim to move us from a place to act proactively on our agenda [to] As a reactive, ”she said. “It’s really difficult. I do not have to have an answer. This is something we fight every day. “

However, Norosi said she and OneAmerica are trying to focus on their mission, which is to provide immigrants and advocate for political homes to fight for justice and help positioning Washington as the best place for immigrants in The country. This focus will help them not only go through immediate emergencies, but also put them able to help immigrants thrive in the long run.

The organization’s work involves working with state legislators in a pro-Migrant program, which includes, among many things, a tax reform that is less regressive to ensure that everyone pays their fair share and providing benefits as unemployment, for undocumented immigrants S

Norouzi said they need to continue to work to attract more people in the movement, which means not only giving information to immigrants, but to develop their leadership and civic commitment skills in order to be able to participate directly in the political process.

“We have to maintain this battle,” she said. “The only way we will win this thing is if we continue to insert people and develop our leaders [to have] More power through more people. “