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Trump’s inauguration spurs growing fears of deportation among undocumented immigrants, Santa Barbara fights back

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Karen Lopez- Saavedra lights up when she talks about Santa Barbara. Though she has lived here since she was 6 years old, she is undocumented— something she’s never worried too much about until now. 
 
“I remember texting my daughter. I'm like, ‘You know, there are sightings of immigration [enforcement] on the street. Just know that I love you.’ And she said, ‘You know, mom, everything's going to be fine,’” said Lopez- Saavedra.
 
Multiple Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings have been reported in Santa Barbara, specifically in the Milpas corridor. 
 
Many undocumented immigrants have been coming to Casa de la Raza in Santa Barbara in panic, asking for resources on what to do should I.C.E. agents come knocking on their door. 
 
“We know in Santa Barbara that what has happened in the past is that when ICE shows up to pick up one community member, say, at an apartment complex of 200 units, they're asking for identification and documentation of human status for the entire space of that area in that radius,” said Casa de la Raza Director Jacqueline Inda.
 
On Tuesday President Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan said the administration is telling I.C.E. to prioritize threats to public safety.
 
The administration is also allowing I.C.E. to arrest people at schools and churches.
 
Casa de la Raza Director Jacqueline Inda says they are working on acquiring a federal sanctuary designation for the space, among other measures. 
  
“We know that there may be changes and what is identified as a safe space for the community and being that sanctuary, being a federally recognized sanctuary will allow people to come here safely and link up to, say, attorneys or other resources that deal with migrant rights,” said Inda.
 
Inda helped create the Immigration Advocacy Collaborative to provide legal resources for immigrants and to advocate for human rights commissions that she says have not been instituted in Santa Barbara County for over 20 years. 
 
“Yes, it does feel like we're dusting off the old books and reforming things that are already created in the past. But at this point, Casa is known for that history and people respect the space for being able to bring that kind of social change,” said Inda.
 
Casa de la Raza will be holding its first advocacy collaborative meeting Saturday, January 25th at noon to help those living in fear of being deported. 
  

Article Topic Follows: Community
casa de la raza
deport
deportation
human rights
ice
ice agent
illegal immigrant
immigration policy
migrant workers
trump
undocumented
undocumented workers

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Mina Wahab

Arab-American producer & reporter with a mission to dig deep in interviews, share authentically, shed light on the issues that matter, and provoke deep thought.

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