Churches and non-profits are offering legal help, meals and workshops to people targeted by the Trump administrationOn Sundays, Juan Carlos Ruiz gives his sermons while wearing a white robe. Although his English- and Spanish-speaking congregants at a Brooklyn-based church may not notice it, the neck of his robe is ripped, the cloth frayed. When asked about the tear in his robe, Ruiz gives a charming smile, remembering his 2018 arrest.That year, during the first Trump administration, Ruiz was participating in a protest to prevent the deportation of a prominent New York immigration activist. As tensions flared, cops began to rough up some demonstrators. Ruiz attempted to intervene. He and 17 others were arrested by police; his white alb ripped during the struggle. Continue reading...
Amid fear and confusion in US immigrant communities during the Trump administration, grassroots protest and activism intensified. Activists are providing legal advice, information, food, and refuge to immigrants targeted by federal authorities, adapting their methods to counter anti-immigrant policies. Despite legal challenges partially blocking some policies, fear and a chilling effect persist, but immigrant communities and their advocates remain determined to continue their work.
