Fear and uncertainty over immigration policies proposed during the 2016 presidential campaign brought nearly 200 Nebraskans together downtown Tuesday evening at Urban Abbey to discuss ways to be proactive with immigration.
“With the heat of the campaign, there’s been some rhetoric thrown out there that has worried people. And Nebraskans just want to know what might be coming next and how we can prepare for that,” says Selina Martinez, Community Coordinator for Nebraska Appleseed.
In partnership with Justice for Our Neighbors, Nebraska Appleseed hosted an informational immigration forum to address concerns local immigrants have for the future of their families.
“It's important to give Nebraskans the space to come together and to support each other. Nebraskans have cared about updating immigration policies and laws and supporting DACA youth so it's a good opportunity to be a little bit more proactive with that and opening up the space for people to come in and get informed,” says Martinez.
Many of the voices heard at the ‘Immigration 101’ forum were DACA youth who say they’re concerned DACA will be taken away, along with their scholarships. They also fear their families’ personal information submitted in their DACA application will now be used as a method to get deported.
Dearra Godinez, an attorney with Justice for Our Neighbors says speaking to a lawyer on their current immigration situation is the most logical and trustworthy thing to do.
"Don't panic. Nothing's happened yet. There's always been a lot of support for common sense immigration legal reform. The biggest thing is for people to learn about the different forms of immigration relief,” says Godinez.
Godinez also says many concerns are in regards to mass deportations. She says now more than ever, it’s important for immigrants to know their rights.
"Everyone should know what to do in case it came down to some of type of raids – including your rights. The rights you encounter for example when an ICE official shows up at your door. Or protecting yourself so that if something happens and a family member is deported, all of their documents are taken together in the same place."
If you need more information on current immigration policies and other services, you can visit Nebraska Appleseed’s websiteor visit Justice for Our Neighbors Nebraska’s website.
