Federal Immigration Policies Hit Home in Mamaroneck

By Claudine Hutton

The White House’s recent immigration crackdown has so far resulted in more than two dozen removals in the Mamaroneck area, straining families and creating a climate of uncertainty and fear, said a panel of immigrant advocates at the November 18 meeting of the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit.

“I think we all hear and see what's happening on the news, and because there's not a lot of press covering what's happening in our community it's like, ‘Oh, that's terrible, but it's far away.’ It's not,” said Jirandy Martinez, Executive Director of the Community Resource Center (CRC).

President Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, with a goal of 1 million removals per year. To try to reach that target, the administration has poured money into enforcement and detention centers, carried out widely-publicized raids, and pushed for more expedited removals. Permanent residents, and even some U.S. citizens, are widely reported to have been caught up in these raids, and many of the immigrants who have been arrested had either temporary protected status or asylum claims that were previously offered but then revoked. Immigrant advocates say this aggressive approach denies their clients’ right to due process and leaves them few options for legal recourse.

“If someone gets detained, they move them very quickly, so we lose jurisdiction,” explained Bertha Rodriguez, Managing Attorney at CRC. “If someone needs a habeas petition, it has to be in the district that I could actually practice.”

Rodriguez said clients have been detained at biometric appointments and even interviews for green card petitions.

Through its Community Justice Program, CRC provides more than 1,700 low-income immigrants with free representation and help with court fees, which start at $10,000. To prepare for the possibility of arrest, the organization also offers regular “know your rights” sessions and helps create emergency plans for temporary caregiving of children. (Local volunteers act as caregivers as well as escorts to immigration court so that there is a point of contact for minors in case of detention.)

Many types of immigrants have been affected by the federal crackdown. Neighbors for Refugees president Michael Reichgott explained that because the White House has halted nearly all refugee resettlements–and cancelled the protected status of many who are already here–his group had to pivot from welcoming new families to the area to supporting existing clients with legal advice, advocacy and safe storage of vital documents.

“People are losing work authorizations,” said Reichgott. “So we have issues of employability, which then result in financial resources for housing–who’s going to pay the rent? --and for food.”

All of this is taking a toll on local families. “We're talking about the future of a whole family, the safety of kids, and what we've seen in the families is there's a lot of fear,” said Sabina Calle, a marriage and family therapist at the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center who works with immigrants on stress and anxiety management. “There's a lot of not knowing what to focus on, not knowing whether to go to work, or whether the kids should go to school.”

Calle said that, fortunately, there has not been a drop-off in school attendance so far. She and others praised the Mamaroneck school district as well as the Village of Mamaroneck police for building relationships with the immigrant community that helps families feel more supported.

That confidence to show up for school or work may soon come under strain. While New York City has not yet experienced widespread raids like other metro areas, Martinez is among those expecting that to change in the months ahead.

“We know there will be increased enforcement in transportation hubs, more enforcement around neighborhoods,” said Martinez. “We are expecting it to get worse in New York City, and all of that fear will trickle down to Westchester County.”

As the daughter of immigrants herself, Martinez says she and her colleagues are driven to push through these challenging times by a deeply personal connection to their clients. “I know what some of those parents are going through, and they're still like, well, if my kid can have another opportunity, let's do that for them,” said Martinez. “Or, you know, if I can get a better job because I'm speaking better English, I'm showing up every day to take that lesson. And that is hope.”

Click here to watch the entire program. For more information or to get involved, check out https://www.crcny.org/volunteer/; https://www.neighborsforrefugees.org/get-involved or https://www.communitycounselingcenter.org/work-with-us.

The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit is an informal community council that seeks to make a better life for the community by keeping it informed of major issues of concern. Our next meeting, on December 16th at 8 am at the Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck, will be a conversation with Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. For more information: https.//www.localsummitlm.org/ . To view recorded programs on LMC Media: https.//lmcmedia.org/ .