By: Eva Richter
NGO Committee on Migration and NY Member

“Get the Criminals Out of Here!” Migrants, Refugees and Deportation

A majority of Americans have applauded President Trump’s policy to seal our southern border and deport the vast majority of migrants and refugees in our midst who are undocumented. Some of these migrants have been living here with various protections for as much as 30 years and have children and grandchildren born here, whom President Trump now wishes to strip of their birthright as US citizens.

The rationale for these actions has been that most of these undocumented migrants are criminals and have immeasurably harmed this country.

Of course we do not want murderers, drug lords, arms dealers, violent people and terrorists in our country. No law-abiding citizen wants criminals in their midst, but at issue is the very definition of the term "criminal." If one has come over the border without official authorization, even in order to claim refugee status (an international human right), according to our present government that is a criminal act, and the person is subject to arrest and deportation. Overstaying a legal visa, as some legally authorized students and workers may have done, some for purely bureaucratic reasons like being unable to schedule a timely hearing, may be considered a criminal act. And will we label as criminals someone who has had to pay a fine for a blown car taillight? Or for an expired car

registration? Or any of a host of minor infractions? Under present definitions, such people, regardless of their years of positive contributions to our institutions, our economy, our services and the richness of our cultural lives may be labeled criminals and deported, our armed forces enforcing the political decrees.

Many of the members of the NFBPWC are teachers and professors, health providers and members of religious organizations. Many are entrepreneurs, who have hired and relied on the work of migrants and refugees in their businesses and enterprises and now find them threatened with deportation. Many of us have worked hard with various agencies of the United Nations to craft and adopt (2018) the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact for Refugees. These compacts provide a rational framework to improve the worldwide response to the needs of migrants and refugees while protecting the integrity of national boundaries and institutions.

Countering the principles established in these documents,  however,  in  the  United  States, the Trump Administration is following through on the President's promise to pursue policies permitting law enforcement agencies like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to invade public spaces like schools, churches and hospitals to arrest and deport "criminals" within the borders of the United States.

Such indiscriminate action will disrupt our justice system, our schools, our lives, and our sense of community. Families are becoming afraid to send their children to school, fearing they will be taken away or that parents coming to pick up their children may be arrested and deported, separated from their families without even a hearing. Women and children are especially vulnerable to fears like these. Often they are the survivors of conflict, threats, intimidations and violence in every sphere of their lives, who have made their way through dreadful circumstances to what they think will be safety in this country. Further dislocations and disruption put them in more danger than ever of becoming victims of trafficking, which has increased by 10 million in the last five years (See ILO, IOM, Walk Free).

Officials in New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago and others have been instructing public employees to block ICE raids in the public schools, and the City University of New York (CUNY) and many public schools have been issuing directives to teachers and others urging them to resist classroom invasion by ICE. (Internal Memos Instruct New YorkCity Government Employees to Block ICE Raids | THECITY — NYC News)

But we are not clear about what is legal and what is not, how we can resist and what the consequences might be. Can we demand a warrant? What sort of warrant must ICE have to be able to effect arrests and deportation?

Effective resistance depends on knowledge and information, and several cities and institutions have published detailed information about migrants’ rights.

The City University of New York (CUNY) has published the following material: Can ICE now go into churches, schools and hospitals? What we can VERIFY |9news.com(Author: Megan Loe: 2:11 PM MST January 24, 2025).

Published in several different languages, this highly informative article talks about the requirement of arrest warrants for ICE to be able to carry out their missions, what kinds of warrants they must present, how one may demand that they be shown, what constitutes public as opposed to private space, etc.

Various cities have informative websites in several languages about what is and what is not legal, together with lists of attorneys who may be contacted in case of emergency.

See the following:

• Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs(NYC)

• Orientation for New Asylees and Refugees -Office of Immigrant Affairs(LA)

• Denver Office Of Immigrant Affairs - SearchNews(Denver)

• City of Chicago: Office of Immigrant, Migrant,and Refugee Rights(Chicago)

• Immigration Resources | DC(Washington DC)

Hopefully, concerted opposition will either slow down or derail attempts at mass deportation and destruction.

As an organization tasked with the advancement of women’s economic, political, social and employment conditions globally, we must take whatever action we can, hope for the best and beprepared for the worst.

Eva Richter NGO Committee on Migration and NY Member