A growing number of immigrants in the U.S. have started leaving the country of their own volition over concerns they could be deported or worse. But even among immigrants and asylum seekers who stay, there is growing concern and fallout over possible government confrontation.
Not going to court runs the risk of being deported and barred from returning for several years. But even complying with court orders has risk, said immigration lawyer Brittany Triggs of the Volunteer Lawyers Project.
“If you go to court, there's a chance that you might be arrested," she said. "That doesn't mean that you don't get to keep fighting your case, but what it does mean is you don't know where you're going to be in the United States fighting your case … you might not have access to your family members.”
The number of people afraid to seek medical attention is also increasing. Green-card holders, refugees and others have talked about feeling the squeeze, even while following the required standards, said Catharine Grainge, director of advocacy for Jericho Road Community Health Center.
“People just have this fear in general, and it's affecting, I think, people's health, like it makes it so that people don't want to go to a hospital," she said. "They don't want to call the police when a crime has been committed against them, because they're worried that just because they have an accent or they look like they might be from a different country, that the police or someone in the hospital will call Immigration on them.”
It isn’t just doctors’ appointments and medical assistance that’s being skipped.
Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health Executive Director Brian Brown-Cashdollar has heard about many people who’ve skipped work over concerns about getting arrested, particularly in the construction industry.
“My understanding is, primarily residential construction and hotel construction, because the building trades have organized, are strong here in New York and are on a lot of the commercial job sites,” he said.
One of the most important factors for those immigrants concerned about detained, or already have been arrested, is having an activity to focus on instead of staying focused on the immigration worries, Triggs said.
“Do something that makes you feel happy, if that's being outside, if that's cooking, drawing, watch a silly cartoon on YouTube," she said. "Like, take some time to be away from the world. Read a book, like, I don't know, pray if you're religious.”
The federal detention center in Batavia has gone from at one time being around half full, because of COVID-19, to being at capacity because of the current situation, Triggs said.
