I recently turned 30, and I threw myself a doble quinceañera (a double 15th birthday celebration). The goal was not just to celebrate me stepping into womanhood but to raise funds for organizations that support the wider immigrant Latine community.
My doble quince was a beautiful night with cumbia, a mariachi group, and cake. The days that followed were filled with images of families being torn apart and communities being raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
North Carolina recently experienced brutal ICE raids at daycares and schools. The largest ICE raid in Atlanta resulted in 475 individuals being detained. ICE raids are rumored to continue escalating in the South.
While Atlanta and DeKalb County police departments have stated that they have not assisted federal enforcement with immigration activity this past year, ICE’s official website shows there are 26 Georgia counties with 287(g) agreements and a couple of counties pending program approval.
The 287(g)program allows state or local law enforcement agencies to perform some tasks of federal immigration.