Immigration Changes and You by Erin Chaney
- con9973
- Apr 26
- 6 min read
 |
HOW MIGHT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRTION POLICIES AFFECT YOU? Everyday ExpensesAs workers in the United States, we are becoming more aware of inflation and its effects every day. Some may say that reducing migrant workers (whether on official work visas or undocumented), will improve inflation. However, nearly a quarter of our nation’s agriculture sector is comprised of this group. The Trump administration has now permitted federal immigration authorities to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants, who were granted access as temporary workers and formerly shielded from deportation. The lack of labor to produce the food we eat will increase scarcity, adding to the inflation we have already seen. Perhaps in certain sectors for some jobs we will see a rate of pay adjustment to make these jobs more appealing, but the fact of the matter is that will not be significant enough to meet the demand for workers in these roles to maintain production of crucial goods. As a result, on a daily basis we will see the effects of this policy. Processed foods will see shortages and changes to pricing. Meat processing plants will also suffer from slowdowns, and costs will reflect this. Construction and parts manufacture will take a hit, so home repairs and renovations will be harder to come by. Taxes are also likely to go up for most in the working class, according to current projections. Sudden Loss of Family, Coworkers and Community MembersImmigration Customs Enforcement officers can now arrest, detain and deport a group of over 1.5 million recent migrants. These migrants had benefited from humanitarian immigration parole programs, formed under the Biden administration, to encourage crossing at legally appointed zones and registration with authorities. The parole program used an app called CBP One that assisted in creating appointments to interview for immigration, which was shut down the day Donald Trump resumed office. Over 30,000 appointments were canceled, alongside about 270,000 other asylum- seekers who were still trying to make one. This means there is no longer a “right way” to apply for asylum at the border. The parole program was also used to give two year government work permits to more than half a million Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to fly to the U.S. as long as they had a sponsor in the country willing to assist them financially. It is unclear yet if the Trump administration intends to use this policy to arrest and deport other migrants under these parole programs, such as Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Meanwhile, the sudden stress on resources and removal of immigration court judges by Trump’s regime also leaves the system overwhelmed for all other immigration cases. Raids on Workers, Regardless of StatusImmigration and Customs Enforcement agents have now been given the ability to raid hospitals, schools and churches. This means we should expect more raids and arrests, although several cities have already announced that they will not assist in these actions. Trump has said that he would use the military to assist with these rounds, which is not lawful. While it is very uncommon in the U.S. to carry passports to work, lack of approved identification on one’s person could cause an arrest to anyone in a raided workplace. In one recent raid in a Newark, New Jersey restaurant, U.S. citizens were also detained and questioned. These raids are conducted by heavily armed agents, often warrantless, and targeting anyone not perceived to be U.S.- born. One potential immediate impact of these policies is to decrease the likelihood of community members willing to speak to police about more serious crimes. Unethical employers may be emboldened to treat employees more cruelly without fear of whistleblowing, adding to the already cruel practice of reporting undocumented workers just before paychecks are due. Never underestimate how this cruelty can be passed along to citizen workers by corporations, as we are all connected by our desire for safe workplace practices and rights for all workers. Danger and Disease in Detention FacilitiesIn New York, ICE has expanded detention facilities from 19 in 2007 to 83 as of 2021. Research shows that the likelihood of ICE arrests increases with every bed available in a detention center. These facilities are not just unnecessary: they are inhumane. ICE detention facilities are documented hotbeds for disease, assault, malnourishment and medical neglect. Covid-19 has spread like wildfire repeatedly, killing many of those detained, and is an ongoing issue in facilities that have very little oversight for distancing, especially for those working in low pay prison jobs. People spend years in these centers sometimes, despite being cleared for deportation or asylum. Stewart ICE Detention Facility is just 120 miles from Atlanta, Georgia. It is a privately operated facility operated by a contractor named CoreCivic, and one of the largest in the country. Recent reports of mistreatment at Stewart abound: deaths, prolonged solitary confinement, sexual abuse, medical neglect, and exposure to toxic mold. According to a recent class- action lawsuit, those detained were coerced into extremely low- paying prison jobs either by threats of punishment by solitary confinement, or in order to pay for commissary snacks when detention center food was insufficient. These abuses are in direct violation of federal anti- slavery laws. Irwin County Detention center in Ocilla, Georgia, is owned by private firm LaSalle Corrections. A former nurse employed by the center blew the whistle in 2019, claiming an alarmingly high rate of hysterectomies performed on Spanish- speaking women who were uninformed about what was happening to them. Since these complaints were publicized, Seattle congresswoman Pramila Jauapal said she had found at least 17 examples of this kind of unnecessary medical treatment on women detained in the center. Sadly, there may be many more cases of this inhumane medical abuse unknown to us because the victims may have been deported. At the time of these complaints, Stewart Detention Center only housed men and those assigned male at birth. Stewart now houses women as well. While New York has banned private prisons, this does not extend to private ICE detention facilities. Forced separation from parents for even a short amount of time can have lasting negative impacts on children. Protective laws from such facilities have been successfully passed in New Jersey, Maryland, California, Washington and Illinois. Until every state passes similar legislation, we are all in the business of funding private interests profiting from housing undocumented immigrants with no oversight, often quietly transferring people to out of state detention centers with no regard to law or contracts. These abuses come at great cost to families, communities, and the taxpayer. What to Know:Any workplace can be subject to search by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As workers, we have rights when it comes to raids by ICE. If you should be at work during one, remain calm. You have the right to ask for a warrant and retain a copy for legal counsel. Administrative warrants do not grant authority to private areas of your workplace without a valid judicial warrant or your consent. If you are an authority in your workplace, discuss best practices with superiors. Assert your right to remain silent when asked about the immigration status of you and your coworkers. Anyone detained has the right to consult with an attorney, although the government in this context is not required to provide it. You can refuse searches that go beyond the scope of a warrant or that lack probable cause.
Most importantly, respect the privacy of all employees. Do not volunteer information or speculate about the status of coworkers. Document everything possible. No employee should sign any documents without legal counsel.
Whether or not you are ever subject to a raid on your workplace, you will no doubt have friends, family, and coworkers affected by these alarming changes in policy. Ask yourself how you can be a good neighbor and steward of your community, and find a way you can pitch in and show support.
RELATED LINKS
Donate or Volunteer: https://www.splcenter.org/support-us/ https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/ https://borderkindness.org/donate/ https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/national-bond-fund https://immigrantactionalliance.org/donate/ https://immigrantjustice.org/how-help
Resources: https://nydignitynotdetention.org/ https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/map https://www.boundless.com/blog/a-managers-guide-to-ice-visits-preparation-and-response/
Articles Cited: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/23/trump-overwhelm-immigration-system-00200160 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-won-presidency-said-rcna178837 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/immigration-raid-newark-new-jersey-mayor-angry-rcna189100 https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/undocumented-immigrant-offending-rate-lower-us-born-citizen-rate https://documentedny.com/2023/04/04/immigrants-sue-ice-new-york-racism-orange-county/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/28/ice-detainees-lumpkin-georgia
Editor’s note: Erin Chaney is a Local 798 makeup artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a longtime advocate and volunteers with various organizations serving immigrant communities. I give my heartfelt thanks to Erin for contributing to the newsletter. |
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