Reportage
On January 20 Donald Trump will officially take office as President of the United States. His strong stance against illegal immigration make one million foreigners without papers, notably Mexican citizens living in the Country, fear for the worst. Mass repatriations are expected. The mobilization for justice and the welcome of the Catholic world, from New York to California.
President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration is imminent (he will be officially sworn in on January 20), and there is growing concern among Catholic undocumented immigrant families, most of whom are Latin-Americans, that the New York tycoon may carry out his electoral promises in terms of migration policies, as he reaffirmed in the last few hours. In the months before the election, Trump had declared, inter alia, that he would “build a wall on the Mexican border”, and that he had plans “to create a new task-force to deport illegal migrants” (11 million according to estimates); that he would grant the Federal government the right “to choose immigrants that we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish here.” The parishes of the State of New York to those in California are focusing their efforts to the ensuring of spiritual support to the families in a state of anxiety, offering them also legal advice so that they may be reassured. “The New Year ushers a certain degree of anxiety into the hearts of many families”, Msgr. Anthony Valdivia recently told the faithful, most of whom Mexican-Americans, in a homily at the church of St. Joseph the Worker in Berkely, California. “Yet, we need to remember that the Lord has given us a New Year. He has plans for us, he offers us new possibilities, so we must carry on with courage.”
Fear and insecurity. However, a large number of Latinos are deeply worried. “Normally I take the bus, but now I don’t dare to anymore. I’m afraid to find immigration officers on the bus asking us to show our documents”, said Alba, 71 anni, charwoman commuting from Albany to Oakland, who doesn’t trust to give her surname. “Sometimes I wake up at night soaked in sweat”, said Roberto Soto, 43, bricklayer.
“I imagine hearing officers knocking on the door, handcuffing me, my wife and our two daughters to send us back to Mexico.”
Resources and guidance. The diocese of Oakland, that comprises Berkely, has recently organized a forum at the church of Saint Jarlath to discuss the legal problems of undocumented migrants residing in the United States. Father Stephan Kappler had the idea of holding this event after election day, seeing that during catechism various children were in a state of shock and fear for what they had heard at home. “It’s important for people to be aware of their rights”, Fr Kappler pointed out. Nobody should live in a state of anxiety.” Sam Davis, coordinator of Community Organizations in Oakland (OCO), an association that works in conjunction with the diocese on this theme, explained:
“The plan to deport all sans-papiers is unfeasible, for it would provoke a crisis in the economy, although immigrants risk being stripped of their rights.”
Similar meetings are being organized by parish priests and Catholic groups across a number of dioceses.
Dreamers in action. Those who most fear Trump’s scenario are the so-called “dreamers”, (the sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States by their parents as children): young people raised in the United States, most of whom speak a broken Spanish and who are culturally formed as North-American citizens. For them, the idea of returning in the Countries of origin of their parents – whether Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, or any other Country – is a nightmare.
“We must be prepared to fight a challenging and just legal battle”,
said Sandra Vargas, I.T. student at San Francisco State University. “Our goal is to stay here; to stay with – and not without – our parents. It would be abominable to divide the families!”
Everything is being called into question. The bill envisaging the granting of a legal status and citizenship procedures to the “dreamers” was drafted a long time ago. In fact, it’s called Dream Act, but it was never adopted. The only concrete step in this direction was made by President Barack Obama, who approved, in 2012, a presidential decree, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) allowing the sons and daughters of illegal immigrants to obtain legal residence and working permits in the United States. To date, 600 thousand people have benefited from it. But the new President might annul the decree, calling into question what has been done so far.
