The Trump administration recently escalated its campaign against immigrant communities when it announced that deportation raids would take place in areas with high concentrations of undocumented populations. The threat of these raids have provoked fear and panic among our immigrant neighbors, many of whom have no criminal records and are law-abiding, hardworking, tax-paying members of our community.
Immigrants breathe new life into the American Dream. They are soldiers and veterans, teachers and students, mothers and fathers. Many have claimed this country as their own and are proud to be called Americans. Immigrants drive the economy, with half of the businesses valued at over $1 billion in the United States founded by immigrants. Undocumented immigrants contribute to property, sales and school tax, flooding the government with over $10 billion in state and local taxes alone. Raids like these weaken our communities, weaponize fear, and damage our economy. WAVE is proud to defend immigrants, documented and undocumented alike.
WAVE regularly hosts clinics with community partners to provide know-your-rights training and legal assistance to undocumented Americans facing the threat of deportation. These clinics, which have reached over 200 families, have provided peace of mind, clarity and a concrete plan in the event of a deportation in the family. WAVE calls upon our members of Congress to pass legislation that provides a path to citizenship to those that deserve it; a humane, orderly solution to the border crisis; and, a long-term partnership with neighboring countries that addresses their own internal conflicts that prompt their citizens to flee their native homes.
