Fear and Uncertainty in Philadelphia’s Immigrant Communities

Many people, like myself, view ICE as a threat to their safety, their means of living, and their freedom to reside in the place which they call home, rather than an annoyance. Ziri, a Drexel University political science student, expressed their worries about the latest raids, describing them as "awful" and highlighting how they reduce public safety. “It’s heart-wrenching to hear that they’ve now been targeting schools and churches,” they said. For myself, I have worked firsthand with immigrant communities through Philadelphian organizations and law firms. I've witnessed the damaging effects of our system on these communities and the fear that settles as they are trying to start a new chapter. This fear has even affected access to services and resources. Ziri adds by saying, "My mother, who is a nurse, said that many people stopped showing up for their appointments following news of increased ICE activity. People similarly stop showing up for work and can no longer earn."

Travis, a sociology major at Temple University, took an even stronger stance, arguing that ICE shouldn’t exist at all. "This issue has recently caught a lot of media attention, but U.S. government efforts to deport non-US citizens persist throughout administrations. Biden laid the groundwork for the present situation. Politicians stoke economic instability and uncertainty to cultivate xenophobia." He also made the point that deportation laws affect entire families as well as individual workers, especially in areas where there has been a history of displacement. "There are many instances of Cambodians who came here as refugees in the 20th century being deported back to Cambodia for petty crime offenses. Often the deportees don’t know anyone in Cambodia as their entire family was killed during the Khmer Rouge and those that left with them remain in the U.S."

The National Immigrant Boycott: A Statement of Solidarity

The purpose of the February 3rd "Day Without Immigrants" boycott was to draw attention to the important role that immigrants play in American culture. Many businesses, especially in the restaurant industry, decided to close their doors in solidarity, even if not everyone could afford to participate. Despite the financial dangers, a Philadelphia restaurant that wished to remain anonymous gave an explanation for their decision to participate in the boycott. "Our team, who are mostly immigrants, alerted us to it. They said they'd be willing to work to support the business if needed, however we decided we could better support our team by participating in the boycott ourselves." 

Despite legal barriers and linguistic obstacles, restaurants play a huge role in assisting immigrant communities by providing both entry-level positions as well as chances for long-term professional advancement. The restaurant owner added, "Few, if any, other industries offer a combination of both entry-level positions and a realistic opportunity for growth for those that need alternative career paths due to legal status, language barrier, education, etc. Immigrants tend to fall into one or several of these buckets. The boycott was just a mere reminder of the huge presence immigrants have within our economy, not just in Philadelphia but across the country. "I've personally managed restaurants in New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Immigrant communities are a constant in restaurants in every city I've worked in. They are the hospitality industry," the restaurant owner noted.

Beyond Protest: What Comes Next?

Although the boycott makes a loud statement, not everyone thinks it will result in instant legislative change. "Frankly, I don’t expect it to do much given current leadership," the restaurant owner admitted. "I hope it brings some awareness to people, though. I don’t believe the general public understands how entwined immigrants, and specifically undocumented immigrants, are to our food system."  Ziri also saw both the pros and the cons of the protest. "I think the protest definitely highlights the role immigrants play in our society, but it may have been damaging for immigrants themselves who didn’t work but may have needed to. Some people probably did not participate because of similar concerns." Travis saw the boycott as a symbolic act but stressed how real change has to come from community solidarity, not just government intervention. "Local and state governments cannot protect individuals from federal entities, nor should we rely on one government to protect us from another. It will always be the people that keep their communities safe."  

I definitely agree with the statements made. It is an unfortunate truth that under the Trump Administration it will be a battle to push for immigrant policies that will protect their rights. But I believe if we were able to come together in 2017 and stand up against injustice then we can do so now. There is power in protest and it truly takes a village for things to turn around. As author Margaret MacMillan from The Ryhme of History: Lessons of the Great War once explained, history doesn't necessarily repeat itself, but it does rhyme. MacMillan states that "if we can see past our blinders and take note of the telling parallels between then and now, the ways in which our world resembles that of a hundred years ago, history does give us valuable warnings" (MacMillan, 5). Having acknowledged the United States' flawed immigration system as well as its racist, discriminatory past, what do we do next? The answer is simple: remove all immigrant businesses nationwide long-term and see how well the economy goes. Hint: the United States would suffer widespread economic losses. 

Measures of Action

Philadelphia's tug-of-war for immigrant rights is far from over.  A one-day nationwide boycott is not enough to bring about systemic change. According to the American Immigration Council, "Mass deportation would almost certainly threaten the well-being of immigrants with lawful status in the United States (and even, potentially, naturalized U.S. citizens) and their communities," not only will this send mass hysteria throughout Immigrant communities throughout the U.S., but it will prevent those from going to work and even children from attending school. 

As previously emphasized, the fear from the ICE raids in Philadelphia and mass deportations across the United States has sent a ripple effect through all immigrant communities nationwide, regardless of their legal status. Those who are undocumented, even if they have lived in Philadelphia for decades and contributed to the economy just like every other United States citizen are afraid and feel unsafe in public spaces. Now for those reading this, you may ask yourself, if an immigrant has a green card why should they be worried about deportation? Allow me to explain. For starters, a green card is a Permanent Resident Card granting permanent residency in the United States and sets them on course for U.S. citizenship. However, according to CBS News, "Any green card holder can be subject to deportation depending on the situation."  So how can we ensure immigrants across the nation know their rights and can navigate our skewed legal system? Immigrant rights and activist organizations such as Juntos and New Sanctuary Philadelphia have political education training programs called "Know Your Rights." Both Philadelphian organizations provide resources, various training sessions, and legal aid for immigrants and what to do during ICE encounters. I stand firm in saying that immigration policies shouldn’t be denoted as a "people of color" or "minority" issue. It is a human rights issue and should be treated as such. Moreover, immigrants should not be reduced to being a "labor force," they are people, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, etc they all have a background story just like you and me. 

It is evident that the Trump Administration is on a witch hunt and immigrants are the scapegoats. There have to be continuous efforts to protect immigrant workers, decent wages, and accessibility to services and other resources. Businesses can directly contribute by pledging to use moral hiring practices and by lending funding to groups that advocate for immigrants, such as the Garces Foundation and The Welcoming Center. Immigrant rights are human rights. This movement is truly about people, families, and communities who are directly affected rather than just policies. Despite the ongoing ICE raids and the growing fear, I am 100% certain of one thing: immigrants are not only a part of Philadelphia. Philadelphia's identity is shaped by immigrants. I will forever stand by immigrants and fight to protect them.

*All photos on this website are taken by myself, please do not repost without credits*