New Jersey organizations concerned about Trump immigration crackdown
It's been three days into the second Trump administration. Several of the executive orders signed on Day 1 focused on more rigorous immigration policies.
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The Trump administration is cracking down on immigration, and local organizations are bracing for the impact in the Garden State.
Advocate Carlos Castañeda, of Movimiento Cosecha, says this is not the first time they’ve seen what he says are “attacks” on his community.
"These attacks are probably going to become more intense; they’re going to increase. That’s really putting our community on alert. We’ve gone through this already we know how to resist and defend ourselves and we’re just prepping," says Castañeda.
It's been three days into the second Trump administration. Several of the executive orders signed on Day 1 focused on more rigorous immigration policies.
Now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can arrest undocumented people at sensitive places, like schools, hospitals and churches. For Castañeda, being prepared means equipping the communities he serves with what they need to know.
"We’re holding several know your rights workshops, so our communities are better informed about the rights that they have when they interact with ICE or the police," says Castañeda.
For over two decades, the Reformed Church of Highland Park has been a sanctuary for immigrants and refugees. Now, church leaders, like Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, say they likely won’t be able to offer a safe space to those who seek them out.
"It kind of feels like a moment where people will feel safer underground or dissipated or spread apart and that’s really sad. The thing that makes life beautiful is when we have real community," says Kaper-Dale.
For now, those who advocate for immigrants and refugees, like Castañeda, will wait to see how this will play out.
"They’ve been here for so many years all they want to do is just continue working and have a better future and have some respect and dignity and be treated as such… as human beings," says Castañeda.
