In one of Donald Trump’s first acts in office, he stripped away protections for schools, hospitals and places of worship from immigration enforcement. These were once safe spaces, where people could learn, receive health care and pray without fear. Now, they have been turned into targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
This is unconscionable. As the world’s largest historical climate polluter, the United States has a responsibility to immigrants. Our pollution is causing the climate chaos — droughts, floods, hurricanes, rising waters — that is forcing people in Latin America, Asia, Africa and elsewhere to leave their homes. Others are fleeing violence, poverty and hunger — all of which are caused or made worse by the climate crisis.
People have the right to be able to leave their homes and migrate with dignity to find safe havens. But, right now, immigrant families are facing the unimaginable: the fear that seeking education or health care could mean deportation or that a peaceful moment of prayer might be shattered by ICE agents barging in.
As municipal leaders, mayors have the power to fight this. They can protect immigrant families by ordering police not to participate in these raids and even to block immigration agents’ entry into schools, hospitals and places of worship.
The future of so many families in our communities is on the line. We must call on local leaders to do the right thing, even as the federal government does not. I’m writing to urge mayors to hear this call and take action to protect immigrants.
Jaszmene Smith
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
