Fear between immigrants grows by allowing arrests in schools and churches

Under the new directives of the Trump administration, immigrants can be carried out in schools, churches and hospitals, spaces in which the detention operations of migration agents were prohibited.

The announcement was made on the first day that Trump assumed the presidency of the United States, with which the new president ended a policy of at least ten years of validity that prohibited immigrants arrests in sensitive places such as schools, hospitals and hospitals Churches.

“Parents are spending moments of panic. Although it is important that they are informed, I ask you to try not to listen to the news much, ”said Evelyn Alemán, founder and president of Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education, A group of Hispanic parents in the Los Angeles area.

He mentioned the case of a mother with six daughters who has a deportation order, and after Trump’s executive orders fears going out.

“She cleans buildings in the west of the city. You cannot miss your work. Now he is very afraid. Other mothers are saying that they do not want to send their children to schools for the fear of being arrested and not knowing who they are going to stay, ”he said.

Evelyn commented that although the city of Los Angeles has the best intentions to protect immigrants, it is not enough, Trump has federal powers, and not putting police officers outside schools, they will be able to avoid arrests.

“What we are doing in order to calm parents is to maintain contact through telephone applications, and we have had meetings every week we invite leaders, legislators and experts to give them information about their rights and how to prepare ”

He added that although fires have left mental and physical trauma in families, Trump’s executive orders are causing emotional trauma especially in children.

And he remembered how when he was a child, although he was born in this country, in 1970 he had to return to El Salvador with his mother whom they had deported for having the defeated visa.

“We spent two years separated from my father until he could fix my mother’s papers. It is a trauma that my parents never exceeded. And to my almost 55 years, I am living again that drama through the parents who are terrified of being separated from their children. The country has been decades in the same situation without giving a solution to the undocumented population. ”

A spokesman for the Department of National Security (DHS) said that the new policy strengthens the actions of the Migration and Customs Service (ICE) and the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “to comply with immigration laws and catch criminal foreigners , including murderers and rapists, who have illegally entered our country.

“Criminals may no longer hide in the United States schools and churches to avoid being arrested. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave forces of order and, on the other hand, trust that they use common sense. ”

After the announcement, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, José H. Gómez said that the statements and actions of the new administration in Washington have caused fear in parishes, schools and communities.

“That is not good for anyone. I pray for our leaders to proceed in moderation and compassion, with respect for law and for the rights and dignity of all involved. ”

He showed that any compliance action of immigration laws must be prudent and accompanied by immediate action in Congress to fix the immigration system, which has been broken for decades.

“For Catholics, immigration is not a political issue. It is a matter of our deeply entrenched religious beliefs. Jesus Christ ordered us to love God as our Father and love our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable, and regardless of which country come or how they got here. ”

Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent of the Unified School District of Los Angeles (Lausd) published on the X site that have heard many concerns in the community about federal migration policies.

“Lausd is forced by legal, professional and moral obligations to protect the private and legal rights of our students and employees, and to ensure constitutional rights to public education.”

He added that these obligations seriously take and will continue working with their allies in the community to provide support and resources to students, families and employees.

With regard to hospitals, California prosecutor, Rob Bont The execution of arrests.

Pastor Guillermo Torres, director of the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) decision to enter schools, hospitals and churches to arrest immigrants.

“How do you think we are going to turn your back on immigrants. God’s law asks us to give special attention to the orphan, to the immigrant and the widow; And in the Hebrew texts, God is very specific by asking us not to hurt the immigrant, and that we treat it as if it were part of the country. ”

He said that stop supporting the immigrant is to leave the biggest commandment, “love God with all your heart and your neighbor the immigrant as yourself.”

He emphasized that if someone is violating the law they are politicians. “Although the Biden administration was not so cruel and inhuman, it also made many mistakes by not having the value of passing the immigration reform when they had power; and not doing so, they have led us to an extreme government and lacking compassion. ”

He said that because of politicians, they will now criminalize immigrants, who are human beings, not illegal.

“There has been disconnection of both Democrats and Republicans towards immigrants. It is the responsibility of both that is happening. They will be accounts before God. ”