Latino groups working with undocumented mothers and children say the current political climate under the Trump administration has exacerbated hardships. Many Latinos across the United States are concerned about how Trump’s presidency will impact their future in American society.
Senior Managing Attorney at Tahirih Justice Center (TJC), Daniella Prieshoff, said that new federal policies are creating a culture of fear.
“They tend to create a chilling effect on survivors being willing to seek the protections they are lawfully entitled to Maryland, regardless of status,” Prieshoff said.
Prieshoff said the struggle of gender-based violence has been affecting immigrants, regardless of their legal status, for years. Specifically, she works with immigrants who experience intimate partner violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and persecution because of their gender or sexual orientation. Prieshoff reported that compared to last year, phone calls to Baltimore’s TJC office have increased 50% from late January to early February.
She believes that the increase is related to the political climate of fear targeting undocumented immigrants. Prieshoff said many survivors are afraid to go to places like courthouses or police stations because of concerns that they may be detained by ICE. The managing attorney said that current federal policies are empowering abusers to use the law and criminal justice system against these people.
“If you’re undocumented and your abusive U.S. citizen spouse tells you ‘Well if you report me to the police, they are going to arrest you, not me because you’re undocumented’ the climate of fear right now is kind of validating those threats. Our clients are reporting that more of their abusers are using the legal system more often,” Prieshoff said.
Prieshoff shared the story of one of her clients who was brutally beaten by her child’s father, who is a U.S. citizen. The abuse occurred after a verbal argument during their child’s hospital appointment. The woman reported her injuries to police following the incident, but the father did the same to file false charges against her. Prieshoff said that the woman was afraid ICE will detain her over the false allegations.
The attorney said that she and other TJC employees are working to help the woman gain legal status so that they can be safer and less vulnerable to exploitation.
“She has been cooperating with law enforcement for the entirety of the case with the investigation that led to his arrest. Even though she’s afraid, this is how brave these survivors are in the face of so many risks to their safety and their children’s safety,” Prieshoff said.
Kelly Velazquez-Umaña, senior manager of research and innovation at Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU), said the safety of immigrants and their children is being compromised by new legislation. The most recent includes President Trump’s push for the Supreme Court to grant him permission to proceed with ending birthright citizenship. Velazquez-Umaña said that many undocumented pregnant women are concerned about the future status of their children.
The certified community health worker said undocumented pregnant women are afraid of going to hospitals to access vital care because of the elimination of sensitive location protections. Velazquez-Umaña shared that an undocumented mother who she worked with preferred not to go to a hospital out of fear of being separated from her child. Fear made the mother more willing to take the risk of having an at home birth despite the potential for complications to arise.
As someone who suffered postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Velazquez-Umaña said that this new fear is an additional layer of stress during an already vulnerable time during and post pregnancy.
“I think for me, that’s what resonates the most. A story from the community where it’s like they are just so scared to seek health care services. Health is a human right, it should be a human right, and we shouldn’t be in a world right now where they can’t gain access.”
The state of Maryland is working to pass legislation that protects the rights of undocumented immigrant families. These include the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, the Maryland Values Act which prohibits local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE, and the Maryland Data Privacy Act.
MLU Maternal Health Ambassador, Jaslyn Blanco, said that growing up in the predominantly Hispanic Prince George’s County exposed her to the problems facing her community. She is a senior biology major at University of Maryland who aspires to become a doctor to combat the lack of Latinos in medicine. Blanco said representation is a large part in making sure people feel comfortable accessing services that they are entitled to regardless of legal status.
“The fact that I’m able to use the language that I was born and raised with to help other people gives them a sense of comfort. They think ‘she’s Hispanic or she’s Latina too, she can understand where I’m coming from.’ It’s very comforting for them to have somebody who looks like them, that sounds like them, to help them navigate through the system,” Blanco said.
However, Prieshoff said that even with the current challenges being faced by undocumented immigrants, many are better off in the U.S. than in their home countries. She has worked with clients through TJC who have praised U.S. law enforcement because they feel more protected here. She said many are fleeing torture from the very hands that swore to protect them.
“I understand that not everyone is perfect and that our criminal justice system is definitely not, but I can tell you that in comparison they have much more access to protection and safety here. I do think that the American dream, however you define that, is still something that our clients long for and have hope for—even if they’re facing so many difficulties here.”
