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Friday, March 24 Edition: Faces of Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda

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Across the nation, American families are being torn apart by Trump’s Deportation Force. Following are some recent storylines — the faces of Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

More than 100 Senegalese deported, and “no one noticed.” Esther Lee at ThinkProgress highlights the deportation of 130 Senegalese nationals last weekend–“a troubling sixfold increase from the 2016 fiscal year when 21 Senegalese people were deported”–and noted that deportations went largely unreported in the media.

Thousands of New Mexican children miss school after immigration raids, out of fear. The New Yorker reports that recent immigrant raids in Las Cruces, New Mexico, lead to absences by thousands of schoolchildren and a wide ripple of fear throughout the community.  The article states “News of the raid caused such fear in the community that [School District Superintendent Greg] Ewing wrote a letter to parents on the 16th, in English and Spanish, reassuring them that ‘we do not anticipate any ice activity occurring on school campuses.’”

Nearly 300 Indian immigrants could soon be sent back. Also in the news today are the Trump administration’s plans to deport more than 270 immigrants back to India, though no details were provided as to who these immigrants are or why they were being targeted.  India’s government is asking for answers and, as the piece notes, “there is growing concern in India over treatment of its citizens in the United States after a high-profile shooting of an Indian computer engineer in Olathe, Kan., in February, and other suspected hate crimes.”

An Indiana woman who voted for Trump could see her husband deported today. A piece by Indiana Public Media highlights the detainment of Roberto Beristain, the owner of a popular steakhouse and “model citizen,” according to South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg. According to the piece, Beristain’s wife Helen voted for Donald Trump, trusting that he would make her community safer.

During an interview earlier this month, Helen said she voted for President Donald Trump because she supports his immigration policies. She said criminals should be deported, but she didn’t think her husband would face that fate.  ‘[Trump] did say the good people would not be deported, the good people would be checked,’ Helen said.

Irish Central reports on the status of Irish immigrants whose homes were recently raided by ICE. The piece also quotes Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who said following Trump’s inauguration:

“Boston was here for me and my family. And for as long as I am mayor, I will never turn my back on those who are seeking a better life,” he told the media . “We will continue to foster trusting relationships between law enforcement and the immigrant community. And we will not waste vital police resources on misguided federal actions.”

Daniel Ramirez and other immigrants remain in detention, or have been deported, despite deep roots and ties to the United States. A piece from USA Today provides updates on a number of individuals facing deportation whose stories have been in the media in recent weeks.  The piece notes:

Since Trump took office… ICE has made clear that while agents target criminals, they also will round up any other undocumented immigrant they catch along the way. The agency even sent a series of tweets two weeks ago reminding young undocumented immigrants granted deportation protections under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that they also could face deportation.

The result: A growing number of DACA recipients, mothers, fathers and grandparents with no violent crimes in their backgrounds are being deported or face deportation in the two months Trump has been in office.