BELLINGHAM, Wash. – After an immigration raid in August that resulted in the detention of Bellingham construction workers, the community is stepping up to help affected families.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picked up 16 employees of Granite Precast at home or on their way to work on Aug. 29.
The men have been scattered since. Eight have been deported, two still are detained and six are out on bond but unable to work.
Ruby Castañeda is the wife of one of the workers, and the couple has a newborn. She says once the initial shock of her husband's arrest wore off, she stepped into the role of coordinator for the newly formed Raid Relief to Reunite Families.
"That kind of was what was giving me hope when my husband was detained and at the detention center because I was occupied doing other things – helping families and my husband at the same time," she states.
Raid Relief to Reunite Families is offering financial support to families and funds for legal fees while the men fight their cases.
Castañeda's husband spent nine days in detention, but is back home now and seeking the ability to work and permanent legal status.
The Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, Community to Community Development and Whatcom Community Foundation are coordinating fundraising efforts for the organization.
Castañeda and the group's other coordinator, Marisol Chapina, have been meeting with families once a week to offer their support.
Chapina's partner remains detained and is applying for asylum status from detention. She says even though everyone's case is different, members of the raid-relief group have become like one big family.
"They've already been deported or they've already been told that they're not going to be eligible for bond and they're not going to be eligible to pursue any sort of status, and so we're all definitely trying to support each other because we're all in different situations in this process," she relates.
Castañeda says after these cases conclude, Raid Relief to Reunite Families wants to continue to help immigrant communities.
Once funds used for bail come back to the organization, the group will use it to bail out other detained Washingtonians.
"We want that money to keep getting recycled for other families to be reunited and continue with the legal process and all sorts of stuff,” she explains. “So we just want to be prepared for another raid to happen and give resources, as we were given."
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Both chambers of the New York state Legislature have included coverage for all legislation in their respective budgets.
The bills would update the state's Affordable Care Act Section 1332 waiver to make coverage available for all income-eligible people, regardless of their immigration status. Studies show half of likely undocumented immigrants and around 18% of lawfully present immigrants are uninsured.
Arline Cruz Escobar, health programs director for the group Make the Road New York, said the challenges stemming from a lack of coverage make life harder for the undocumented population.
"A lot of these preventable illnesses are going undetected and so, unfortunately, people are getting sicker," Cruz Escobar pointed out. "It also means that a lot of people who currently are sick aren't able to actually access the medication that they need."
One of the biggest obstacles to passing the bill is anti-immigrant rhetoric spreading across the country. However, many groups across the state submitted testimony declaring their support and need for this bill.
Cruz Escobar argued the growing migrant population in places such as New York City makes the bill more necessary. The New York City Comptroller's Office found the number of migrants not living in New York City but still in its care grew from 276 last May to more than 2,100 last September.
Beyond helping immigrants, supporters said the bill will benefit the state financially. The New York City Comptroller's office estimates passing coverage for all will generate $710 million in annual benefits.
Cruz Escobar described other elements of the bill.
"We have also included in our legislation language around giving the Commissioner of Health the ability to set up guardrails to ensure that for this expansion we don't over-cede the amount of surplus that's available."
She added the commissioner would also ensure there would be no additional cost through state dollars. Estimates showed New York State plans to spend more than $4 billion between 2022 and 2026 on issues related to migrants. Current spending is estimated at around $690 million.
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Advocates for immigrants gathered at the Georgia State Capitol this week, urging lawmakers to stop legislation they see as potentially harmful.
House Bill 1105 would require local police agencies to inform immigration officials if they suspect someone undocumented has committed a crime. Maria del Rosarios Palacios, executive director of GA Familias Unidas, warned at a Capitol news conference that this type of legislation could heighten discrimination against the immigrant community.
"HB 1105, we have seen it before, legislators," she said. "We have seen these tactics before, and not only have these tactics been used to silence our community for a very long time, now you're using it to defund your own police."
Backers of the legislation have argued that it would reduce crime and protect women, following the tragic death of a Georgia nursing student. However, Palacios said the bill fails to amplify all women's voices and could hinder immigrants from seeking help from the police when they are in danger.
Nazia Khanzada, communications manager for the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR Georgia, also spoke at the Capitol. She underscored the importance of protecting all people, regardless of country of origin, religion or immigration status.
Khanzada mentioned six pieces of legislation, saying some contain confusing terminology.
"Many of the bills that are written define their own definitions of immigration law, instead of referring to definitions already established under federal immigration law," she said. "So it leaves it unclear what immigration status is or is not captured by a bill."
House Bill 1105 has passed in the House and awaits a vote in the Senate. Other measures raising concern include Senate Bill 132, which would prohibit some types of land ownership by what's referred to as "certain nonresident aliens," and Senate Bill 420, which aims to restrict farm property ownership.
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The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature has passed a number of bills that some immigration advocates are calling "SB 1070 2.0." Senate Bill 1231, otherwise known as the Arizona Invasion Act, would give law enforcement the authority to arrest migrants who are crossing the border and don't have the appropriate documentation.
Republican lawmakers argue the law would help control migrant numbers in the Grand Canyon State. The Tucson sector had the most migrant encounters of any sector along the U.S.-Mexico border, with more than 250,000 in the first four months of fiscal year 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Glendale, warned the bill would lead to racial profiling.
"It is not the state's place to enforce federal immigration law, and when we do that we subject entire communities to terror, to racial profiling and to harassment," she contended.
While the measure may face opposition from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, she may not be able to intercept other Republican-backed immigration proposals. If approved, voters in November could enact House Concurrent Resolution 2060, that would expand verification regulations for businesses to check the status of independent subcontractors and make it harder for migrants to access public benefits.
Rep. Lorena Austin, D-Mesa, said SB 1231 has "unintended and intended" consequences. She added Arizona is still trying to cope with the impacts of SB 1070, a controversial 2010 immigration law that some contend led to widespread racial profiling in Arizona.
"We saw that over 10 years ago, when thousands of people were being illegally stopped and targeted, and that shame is still something that clouds this state, " Austin said.
Arizona Republicans argue that the federal government has failed to secure the southern border, leading to an uncontrollable flow of migrants who have not followed proper protocol to immigrate, which is causing issues for those who are trying to do so legally.
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