SACRAMENTO — President Trump put on hold a string of immigration raids across 10 U.S. cities originally planned for this weekend.
The president tweeted Saturday that those raids will be delayed by two weeks to give Congress time to address what he calls “asylum and loophole problems” at the southern border.
“I was scared at first because when you hear ‘ICE raids,’ and you’re either a DACA recipient or know someone undocumented, it automatically hits you and you’re scared in that moment,” said Fatima Diaz.
Diaz is a DREAMER and says just the threat of arresting and deporting about 2,000 immigrant families is only raising fears in the immigration community
“My main concerns are those families who have children, who were born here and their caregivers are undocumented… just thinking about what they would do if they became separated, it’s just hard,” Diaz said.
But immigration attorney Brian Hedrick told FOX40 those subject to deportation likely already received court-ordered removals.
“The targets of these raids would be people with outstanding deportation orders,” he said.
Still, he too agrees that the immigration community is on edge by the possibility of breaking up families in this country.
“We do get an uptick in phone calls and emails from community members that are concerned for either themselves or family members,” Hedrick said.
Rev. Kevin Ross said, “we look at this as a tactic to strike fear and terror in communities.”
While the 10 cities affected do not include Sacramento, local faith leaders are speaking out against the plan.
Ross is a faith leader at Sac ACT (Sacramento Area Congregations Together), he says, “the idea of raiding families in 2019 seems to be archaic and barbaric, to say the least, so we’re concerned.”
Diaz says she and her family will not be affected by the potential raids — but her heart goes out to other undocumented families whose future remains uncertain.
“I understand where that fear and anxiety comes from, and not knowing where your future is going to go and what road you’re going to take,” Diaz said. I definitely understand that feeling. I just wish the best for those families that will be affected by it.”
