Pro-immigration groups and pro-immigrant cities around the country are on edge following the arrest of Daniel Ramirez Medina, who was living in Seattle after being granted protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
The arrest of the 23-year-old by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caught the attention of many pro-immigrant groups who fear President Trump is about to clamp down on illegal immigration.
ICE this week stressed that the raids are nothing new, and that raids that gathered up hundreds more people took place under President Barack Obama. But cities reacted with a public relations wave in opposition to Trump’s early actions.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said he opposed the arrest, and asked Trump to both abide by DACA and further clarify his stance on the policy.
Seattle is a so-called sanctuary city, which Trump said he will target as part of his broader immigration policy by withholding federal funds. According to Murray, Seattle will remain one.
“[N]o City of Seattle official will ever ask about your immigration status. And the Seattle Police Department will not help ICE detain and deport immigrants who are doing nothing more than raising their families and contributing to the vibrant culture and successful economy of our city,” the Democrat said in a statement.
In Austin, Mayor Steve Adler said his city too will continue to protect immigrants. Adler told NPR that the community is now “scared” as ICE raids increase.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty here. It’s, unfortunately, undermining a lot of the trust relationship that had been built up with our public safety officials over time. It’s sending people back into the darkness. My assessment is, in a lot of ways, it’s making us less safe,” he said.
However, Adler said that he is unsure what defines a sanctuary city, and that his community feels “targeted” under Trump.
Under Trump’s executive order, the Department of Homeland Security defines “sanctuary jurisdictions” as areas that have policies in place that limit how they cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are roughly 300 sanctuary jurisdictions, and between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015, they rejected more than 17,000 detention requests from the federal government.
In Washington state, groups are worried.
“We believe that the arrest of Daniel is an individual incident and not an indication of a change in policy or enforcement priorities, but are keeping a close eye on current enforcement activities. Nevertheless, along with the recent raids, these actions are causing widespread and profound fear among immigrants,” Christopher Koehler of the St. James Immigrant Assistance in Seattle told the Washington Examiner. His group helps low-income adult refugees and immigrants in King County learn English and eventually become U.S. citizens.
Colectiva Legal del Pueblo also helps low-income immigrants in the state of Washington, and is worried about the narrative that some immigrants are more deserving of staying in the country, and others are simply “criminal.” Norma Gonzalez says her groups will rejects that idea, and will “continue to support all of our families and combat the fear within our communities through education and workshops with the goal of empowering people to organize collectively.”
California lawmakers continue to stand by their cities and immigrants, too.
“Angelenos should not have to fear raids that are disruptive to their peace of mind and bring unnecessary anxiety to our homes, schools, and workplaces,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti last week. “The administration should take a just, humane, and sensible approach that does not cause pain for people who only want to live their lives and raise their families in the communities they call home.”
Garcetti told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this week that he doesn’t want raids to take non-criminals, and he has learned through ICE briefings that some of those raids have arrested people whose sole criminal violation was “being here unlawfully.” Garcetti has openly said Los Angeles will remain a sanctuary jurisdiction.
New York City is also closely monitoring the situation. According to a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, roughly 40 percent of New Yorkers are foreign born, including both documented and undocumented. The NYPD will continue not to question people about their immigration status, according to the mayor’s office, which means the city remains a sanctuary.
“The mayor’s office has received credible reports of immigration enforcement activity in several New York City neighborhoods in the last few days,” spokeswoman Rosemary Boeglin said in a statement. “The mayor is closely monitoring the situation and the administration is working with NYPD and community organizations to verify the activity as we receive reports.”
To the south, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted to drop its sanctuary status on Friday, becoming the first in the nation to do so following Trump’s executive order. The commission said it was worried about Trump’s threats to withhold money, and so jail officials will now honor all immigration requests by ICE.
However, the spokesperson for Mayor Carlos Gimenez told the Washington Examiner that county police officers “have never and will never act as immigration enforcement agents.”
“The mayor believes comprehensive immigration reform is the answer to resolving many of the issues involving our Dreamers. Until there is comprehensive immigration reform, Mayor Gimenez continues to support Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” Michael Hernandez, director of communications for Gimenez said in an emailed statement.
Miami-Dade County receives roughly $355 million annually from the federal government.
